Deputy Principal and Guard Killed, 25 Students Kidnapped in Nigeria

Unidentified gunmen launched an attack at dawn on Monday on a government girls' school in Kebbi State, northwestern Nigeria, resulting in the death of the Deputy Principal and a local guard, and the kidnapping of at least 25 students. This is the latest incident in a series of attacks targeting educational institutions in the country for ransom.

Details of the Tragic Attack

• Casualties: Hassan Yaqoub Mukoko, the Deputy Principal, was killed while attempting to confront the attackers. A local guard also died in the assault.

• Kidnapped Victims: The gunmen abducted at least 25 female students from the Government Comprehensive Girls' School in the town of Maga.

• Incident Overview: The attack occurred around 4:00 AM, just before dawn prayers. According to local leaders, the attackers infiltrated the area through the forests of the neighboring Zamfara State.

Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, the Kebbi State police spokesperson, confirmed that security forces and the army have been deployed in the surrounding forests in search of the kidnapped students. No official statement has yet been issued by the local or federal government.

Recurring Context and Rising Concerns

This incident brings back memories of the tragedy involving the kidnapping of over 270 girls in Chibok in 2014 by Boko Haram.

• Threat to Education: The attacks once again highlight the fragility of the security situation in northwestern Nigeria, where armed groups exploit the weak deployment of security agencies in rural areas to gain financial benefits through ransom demands.

• Shocking Figures: Estimates suggest that over 500 students have been kidnapped in similar attacks since the Chibok incident, increasing fears that schools are becoming easy targets for criminal gangs, thus threatening the future of education in these regions.