The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has condemned in strong terms the mass abduction of students from the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, describing the incident as “tragic, senseless, and utterly unacceptable.”
The attack, carried out by armed bandits in the early hours of Monday, led to the abduction of 25 female students and the killing of a school official.
Reacting on behalf of the forum, its chairman and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, said the continued targeting of schools posed a dangerous threat to the region’s stability and the future of education in northern Nigeria.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Yahaya commiserated with the government and people of Kebbi State, particularly the families of the abducted students and those who lost loved ones in the assault. He also assured Governor Nasir Idris of the forum’s solidarity during what he described as a deeply distressing period.
“Schools must be sanctuaries of learning, not battlefields,” Yahaya warned, noting that repeated assaults on educational institutions risk eroding progress made toward improving school enrolment and tackling the region’s mounting out-of-school crisis.
He expressed grave concern over the trauma the abducted girls may be experiencing and called for an “immediate, well-coordinated, and decisive operation” by security agencies to rescue the victims and apprehend the attackers.
Reaffirming the forum’s commitment to working closely with the federal government and security institutions, the governor stressed that the safety, education, and welfare of young Nigerians remain paramount.
He urged communities to stay vigilant and cooperate fully with security operatives in the collective effort to stamp out criminality across the region.