Nigeria intensified its search on Tuesday for 25 schoolgirls abducted from a boarding school in northwestern Kebbi State. The girls were taken during a well-planned attack early Monday morning, as insecurity continues to affect the region.

Armed men on motorcycles stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga around 4 a.m. local time. They exchanged gunfire with police before scaling the perimeter fence and seizing the students. Two girls managed to escape their captors later that evening, authorities said.

Most of the students, including those abducted, are Muslim, reflecting the dominant religion in the region. Local residents gathered outside the school in shock. Nazifi Isa, one parent, described the ordeal. “Since yesterday, we haven’t eaten, and my wife is in tears. I can’t even go home because I know how distraught she is,” he said.

Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, visited Kebbi on Tuesday and urged troops to act decisively. “Success is not optional. Act professionally on all intelligence,” he told the security forces.

The abduction is part of a worrying trend in northwest Nigeria, where kidnappings for ransom have increased. Armed groups frequently target schools, villages, and travelers. Meanwhile, in the northeast, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has carried out attacks, including the recent abduction and execution of an army general.

Clashes between cattle herders and farmers continue in the middle belt, adding to the security challenges. On Monday, local media reported another gang abducted 64 people, including women and children, in neighboring Zamfara State.

The Nigerian government faces mounting international pressure to improve security. The United States has expressed concern over the rise in kidnappings and attacks by Islamist insurgents. Officials continue to coordinate military units, police, and local vigilante groups to track the girls’ movements and secure their release.

Authorities urged residents to share any information about the abductors’ whereabouts. The focus remains on rescuing the girls safely and ensuring such attacks do not continue to terrorize communities across Kebbi and surrounding states.

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