Seven of the students of Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga in Danko Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State were shot when gunmen invaded the school?s hostel early morning on Monday, November/ 17, 2025, killed a security guard and abducted no fewer than 24 female students.

Garuba Maidoki, the Senator representing Kebbi South, disclosed this during an interview by Arise News Television. ?About seven of them were shot by the bandits while they were trying to abduct those girls,? said Senator Maidoki. He also spoke on the girls? whereabouts and efforts to rescue them. Excerpts:

What can you tell us about the attack on the Maga schoolgirls which we understand led to the killing of the Vice Principal of the school and abduction of about 24 students?

This is the most unfortunate week of my life. When we heard about the kidnapping of Chibok girls, we thought it happened in a far-away land; just like a fairy tale. This one happened right in my constituency in Maga, Kebbi State, the people we assured that when we win the elections, their security will be our priority. As soon as I got the sad news, I went home, met with the wives of the two persons who were killed, the principal of the school that was attacked and the people of Maga to commiserate with them as well as assure them that we will work with government and its agencies to ensure that the abducted children are returned safely. I assured them that this will not be like the Chibok girls; that the girls will come back home. Now, I am back to Abuja so that we can work with relevant government agencies and decide the best way of ensuring that those girls are returned and security normalized in the area.

You promised your people that nothing will happen to them. With this incident, do you feel a sense of failure?

Yes. Right now, I feel that I have failed my people. My people embark on self-help to protect themselves. During my campaign, I showed them voter cards and told them that it was the greatest weapon they could think of; that it was the ticket for their safety and then urged them to ensure they registered and vote for people with integrity who could assure them of their security. They heeded the advice. I won the election under the People?s Democratic Party, PDP. The party, PDP, was not in power in Kebbi State but we defeated the serving senator, my childhood friend. So, it was about securing our people and not about anyone. Prior to my election, over 200 villages in Zoe Emirate were occupied by bandits, completely.

When you say completely, did they hoist their flags and were they operating from there?

Yes, they were operating from there. Most of the bandits troubling us were not those that hoisted flags for ideological reasons, these are the economic bandits; they stole cows, goats and kidnapped people for ransom. And, to the glory of God, after my pleas with the Senate, they went into action by engaging all the Service Chiefs. There were positive results which I reported at the Senate after a year. I appreciated the Senate President and informed the house that no village in Kebbi South was still occupied by bandits; that was late last year. That time, the villagers could go to their farms, though we sometimes experienced incursions from the neighbouring Zamfara State. As you may know, it is only a river that divides the two states. Most of the terrorists reside in Zamfara State and enter our state from there. So, when I reported the incursions in the Senate, I pleaded with the Senate President that something should be done to ensure total security in the area. Interestingly, the Nigerian Army had mapped out a particular location where they wanted to make their operational base; they acquired the land and even paid necessary compensations but did not mobilize and I kept asking them ?When are you going to mobilize?? This was because I knew that their presence alone would guarantee safety in the area.

We understand that there is a large expanse of land that people travel for hours before seeing little settlements. Where do you suspect the bandits must have taken the students to?

I must commend the activities of the Nigerian armed forces. Right now, they are in the forest where I learnt that about seven of them were shot by the bandits while they were trying to abduct those girls. We have a fair idea of where the girls were taken; they are within my constituency in Kebbi South, all the intelligence reports we have alluded to that fact. There is high hope that the girls will return home, soon.

What can you tell us about the level of security in that school?

The biggest problem in Nigeria?s security is lack of boots on ground. In one of our budgets, we voted for money to be made available for more recruits. Unfortunately, apart from Kaduna, there is no training centre for the armed forces. The 20 soldiers, often stationed at certain locations, cannot confront over 300 terrorists, riding on 300 motorcycles, carrying three bandits each, all fully armed. The number of soldiers confronting these bandits is very negligent. Even where soldiers are on ground, they don?t have the capacity to fight bandits. In this particular incident, the school was their target and we had a fair idea that they had been targeting that school for long. 25 soldiers confronting bandits riding over 100 motorcycles and carrying three each is just suicidal.

Now, how did they transport the girls?

You know, they came on motor cycles and they are experts in riding them on any type of road, even in the rainy season. So, they operate wherever they choose to operate and leave immediately. They don?t waste time.

What other things did they take apart from the girls?

They took cows

How did they transport those cows?

They transport them by road. The cows followed them and they formed a shield.

What about the school girls that escaped, are they ok?

Only one girl escaped and she is ok.

We understand the principal was badly injured?

Yes, but I spoke with him and he said he is ok, now.

The Vice Principal is dead. What do you think can be done to ensure the safe return of those girls and permanent peace in that region?

We appreciate, seriously, the efforts of the Federal Government; the Chief of Army Staff was there, the Garrison Commander and the Vice President who is representing the President are already in Kebbi State. The FG has given us a serious attention towards resolving this issue and we are hopeful that those issues will be resolved and the girls returned.

How is your area, Maga?

Maga is a ghost of itself. Parents of the abducted girls are in a state of shock, some of them think they are dreaming, hoping to wake up from the bad dream and see their daughters the following morning while some have been hospitalized.

What about the wife of the Vice Principal that was shot dead?

The Vice Principal was not shot dead. It was the head of security (of the school) that they killed. They went to his house, asked him to take them to the girls, he refused and they shot him dead, in the presence of his family. The head of the school was injured but she is doing well now. The second guard who also refused to take them to the girls? hostel was equally killed, straight away. The third security man who complied with their instructions sneaked away when he noticed that their attention was centred on the girls.

Apart from the school, are there other areas that are vulnerable in that your area?

Yes. There are so many vulnerable areas especially schools. But, do we, parents, take our children home? I really don?t have an answer to this question. Our attention now is on how to recover these girls, after which we shall sit down and discuss other pertinent issues about the security of that region.

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