The Kebbi State Government has reopened the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, several months after a deadly bandit attack that claimed the life of the school’s vice principal and led to the abduction of 25 students.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, November 17, 2025, when armed attackers invaded the boarding school in Maga, located in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area. During the assault, the vice principal, Malam Hassan Yakubu Makuku, was killed, while 25 schoolgirls were taken from their hostel.

It was reported that one of the abducted students managed to escape on the day of the attack, while the remaining 24 were rescued on November 25, 2025, following coordinated search-and-rescue operations by security agencies and were later reunited with their families.

Announcing the reopening on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Halima Bande, said the decision followed the restoration of confidence among parents, students and school authorities through counselling support and enhanced security presence.

“The abducted students have been rescued, and confidence has been rebuilt through counselling and the deployment of security personnel, which has made it possible for academic activities to resume at the school,” she stated.

Dr Bande explained that the reopening was preceded by a security meeting with principals and heads of secondary schools in Birnin Kebbi, during which safety measures were reviewed.

She added that Governor Nasir Idris had approved the deployment of additional security personnel to public schools across the state to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

According to the commissioner, the state government has also introduced security awareness programmes for school administrators and staff. She noted that similar sessions had earlier been held in Zuru, Yauri, Jega, Bunza and Argungu, with the Birnin Kebbi engagement marking the final phase.

Bande stressed that ensuring the safety of schools requires collective effort, urging principals, teachers and students to remain alert and proactive.

She further advised school administrators to deepen collaboration with host communities and security agencies as part of broader preventive strategies.

The commissioner commended the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) for their role in training school officials on security awareness and preventive measures.

Kebbi Reopens Girls’ School After Bandit Attack, Student Abductions

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