By Fatima Idera, JKNewsMedia
AUTHORITIES REPORTED on Tuesday that one of the 25 abducted students from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga in Kebbi State has escaped and is safe, as joint security teams and local hunters continue a coordinated search for the remaining missing schoolgirls, according to AP News.
Their confirmation came after officials reviewed information gathered since gunmen stormed the school before dawn on Monday, taking several students during the early-morning attack.
The school principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, stated that the first escapee made it back home on Monday night.
Magaji added that another student managed to flee the scene immediately during the assault and was not captured. According to him, ‘They are safe and sound’.
Footage verified by AP shows the two schoolgirls, believed to be in their early teens, sitting among family members in their community as relatives attempt to comfort them.
Their return provided the first relief since the attack, which drew immediate attention from security authorities.
However, efforts to locate the remaining missing students intensified shortly after the gunmen left the school premises.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu, directed personnel under Operation FANSAN YANMA to apply what he described as intelligence-driven, round-the-clock operations aimed at tracing and rescuing the abducted students.
Shaibu instructed troops to act on every credible lead, stressing: ‘We must find these children. Act decisively and professionally on all intelligence. Success is not optional’.
Governor Dr Nasir Idris visited the school on Monday, speaking with staff and assuring parents that state authorities were taking urgent steps to support the ongoing search operations.
His visit followed accounts from residents who heard gunfire during the attack and witnessed movement around the school.
A resident, Abdulkarim Abdullahi, recalled hearing the first bursts of gunshots from his home.
He said he later received information that the attackers had entered the school using multiple motorcycles.
According to Abdullahi, the gunmen overwhelmed the area in the early hours, prompting panic among nearby households.
Another account came from Amina Hassan, the wife of the school’s Vice Principal, Hassan Yakubu Makuku, who was killed during the incident. She recounted the encounter, explaining that three attackers confronted her husband.
She said they asked him to confirm his name before informing him of their intent. Her statement described a brief exchange that preceded the fatal attack.
Promptly on Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to travel to Kebbi State to meet relatives of the abducted students and the family of the slain Vice Principal.
The visit formed part of federal efforts to reassure the community of ongoing actions to rescue the missing girls. Authorities said the government remains committed to ensuring the safe return of all abducted students.
While PUNCH reported that independent verification of certain accounts was still pending as of Tuesday night, local officials confirmed that communication with security agencies was ongoing and that further updates were expected as search operations progressed.
Officials stressed that the search for the girls continues with increased urgency, as security forces work alongside local hunters familiar with the terrain.
However, the situation has drawn significant attention within Kebbi State and across the country as authorities coordinate intelligence, military operations, and community mobilisation to retrieve the abducted students.
