Muhammad Dantani, District Head of Maga in Danko/Wasagu LGA, Kebbi State, speaks about the attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, where bandits killed a staff member and abducted 25 students.
How would you describe what happened during the attack on the school?
It was a heartbreaking and traumatic incident for the entire Maga community.
In the early hours of the morning, bandits stormed Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in a coordinated and brutal assault. They killed one staff member, Malam Hassan Makuku, an Islamic scholar and patron of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria.
They also shot the school’s watchman, who is my uncle.
The attackers then proceeded to the students’ hostel area, causing widespread panic. Although they did not take all the girls, they abducted a significant number.
The attack shook the entire Zuru Emirate because, until then, our area had enjoyed relative stability due to earlier security efforts.
How did you personally learn about the attack?
At about 4:30 a.m., I received an urgent call from the school principal.
As district head, I returned the call immediately and was informed that armed bandits had entered the school.
Given the seriousness of the situation, we mobilised quickly to the school to assess the damage, check casualties, and verify the students’ whereabouts.
How many students were eventually confirmed abducted?
When we gathered the remaining students and conducted a headcount using the school register, it initially appeared that 27 girls were missing.
But during verification, we found that one had returned in the night and another had escaped on her own.
By 7 a.m, after a thorough check, we confirmed that 25 students were abducted. It was devastating because these girls are our children, and their safety is our communal responsibility.
Before the attack, were there security measures in place?
Yes, there were. In fact, security had been strengthened recently due to intelligence warning of a possible attack.
Acting on this, the governor ordered police officers to be deployed around the school and directed the nearby army troops, about a kilometre away, to move closer.
He insisted on proof of the deployment, and the army officer in charge even sent a photograph with the students as evidence.
This reassured the governor and local authorities that the school was adequately secured.
We also mobilised local vigilantes familiar with the environment. These combined efforts had previously protected Maga from attacks.
If security forces were deployed, how did the attack still happen?
That is the most troubling part. Around midnight, I called to confirm the soldiers’ presence and was told they were still at their post.
Unknown to us, they withdrew around 1 am, just before the attack began. We still don’t know who gave the order or why they left.
When the bandits arrived, the police officers on duty said they took cover because the attackers were too many, and engaging them would have meant certain death.
Their numbers and firepower were overwhelming.
With the army absent, the police felt they could not resist. As a result, the bandits operated from around 1:30 am to 3:30 am without any opposition.
Has the military given any explanation for the withdrawal?
When the governor visited, he was understandably angry. The army commandant present apologised on behalf of the military and admitted that the situation was mishandled.
The governor immediately ordered the creation of a high-powered investigative committee comprising the DSS, police, school authorities, and other relevant bodies.
Their job is to uncover the reason for the troop withdrawal and determine whether negligence or compromise played a role.
We are awaiting their findings.
Has there been any progress toward rescuing the abducted students?
Yes. Since the incident, the military and other security agencies have been combing the forests and conducting search-and-rescue operations.
Based on the intel available to us, the bandits have not moved far; they remain within bush paths along the Kebbi–Zamfara border.
The military is working to block every escape route, especially those leading into Zamfara. We are hopeful, prayerful, and confident that the girls will be recovered soon.
Were the vigilantes able to intervene during the attack?
No, they were not fully engaged. The police on duty explained that once they realised the attackers’ overwhelming number, they took cover to avoid being overrun.
Vigilantes usually support the police and military, but the scale and suddenness of this attack, combined with the army’s withdrawal, created conditions where direct engagement might have led to massive casualties.
Are there any known bandit camps within the Zuru Emirate?
There are no bandit camps within the Zuru Emirate. The area comprises four major LGAs, Fakai, Danko-Wasagu, Sakaba, and Zuru, each with ward and village heads who monitor their environments closely.
The real challenge is our border with Zamfara State. The River Ka marks the boundary.
Bandits often cross from Zamfara into Kebbi to carry out attacks. Once they retreat back into Zamfara, pursuing them becomes difficult because they have established camps and support there.
Even now, the army in Zamfara is increasing pressure on them.
What is your message to state and federal authorities?
My appeal is straightforward: restore the level of security we once had in Maga. We used to have armoured personnel carriers (APCs) stationed here, and they served as a strong deterrent.
Those APCs were critical to our safety, and their removal created a vulnerability.
Maga sits right on the Zamfara border, making it even more urgent to redeploy them and strengthen military presence. This is the only way to prevent future attacks and rebuild public confidence.
We understand special prayers are being held. Can you confirm this?
Yes. Some communities have already begun their prayer sessions.
In Zuru, there is an officially organised special prayer confirmed by the Special Adviser on Security. Here in Maga, we will begin ours tomorrow.
Our community believes in combining spiritual efforts with security action.
Prayer has always been one of our strengths, and with God’s help and continued efforts by security agencies, we hope to overcome this challenge.
