The Federal Government has pledged urgent action to secure the release of female students abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

The attack, carried out by gunmen in the early hours of Monday, left one school official dead and a guard injured.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced the government’s position in a statement on his verified X account, stressing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu views the protection of schoolchildren as a “solemn responsibility of the State.” Idris condemned the assault as “reprehensible” and confirmed that security and intelligence agencies have been directed to locate and rescue the victims.

The minister assured Nigerians that internal security remains a top priority, noting ongoing efforts to recalibrate military, policing, and intelligence capabilities for faster responses to threats. He also highlighted Nigeria’s cooperation with ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force to secure borders and dismantle terrorist networks.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force confirmed that tactical units engaged the attackers in a gun duel but the bandits escaped with the students. Joint police and military teams have since launched intensive search-and-rescue operations, combing bandit routes and nearby forests.

Civil society groups and parents have expressed concern, urging swift government action. The incident underscores the persistent insecurity in Nigeria’s northwest, where schools and communities remain vulnerable to banditry and mass abductions.