Efforts to locate and rescue the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls have been stepped up, according to local authorities. Security operatives and local hunters combed nearby forests, areas where armed gangs frequently hide while more teams were positioned along key routes leading to the school.
The abduction happened early Monday morning when armed men stormed the dormitory at Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, Kebbi State.
Police say the attackers climbed over the school fence, opened fire on officers, and then escaped with the girls after fatally shooting a staff member.
No faction has claimed responsibility, but many observers point to the bandit groups that routinely target schools, villages, and travelers in ransom-driven kidnappings.
Officials note that many of these armed groups consist of former herders who turned to violence after repeated clashes with farming communities over dwindling resources.
Civil society groups, however, accuse security agencies of failing to act decisively.
In Lagos on Wednesday, citizens voiced anger over the worsening insecurity.Ogundinmu Peter, an IT specialist, said he believes leaders have no real strategy.
“I would say they don’t even understand what they’re doing in government. They should step aside,” he said.
Bright Godwin, a marketing professional, also expressed disappointment.
“The purpose of any government is to safeguard the country and protect the lives of its people,” he said. “These children represent the future of our nation, and if this keeps happening with no real results, it clearly shows the government is failing in its responsibility.”
Northern Nigeria has seen countless school kidnappings, and the Kebbi school lies close to troubled zones in Zamfara and Sokoto, strongholds for several armed groups.
More than 1,500 students have been abducted in the region since Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from Chibok over ten years ago.
Bandit groups also operate widely in these areas, and analysts say they repeatedly target schools to attract national and international attention.
President Bola Tinubu has postponed his trip to the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg after vowing to intensify efforts to rescue the 24 schoolgirls seized earlier this week in the northwest.
