Nigeria was thrown into mourning over the weekend following yet another deadly attack, this time in Maga, a remote village in Kebbi State, where armed militants stormed a boarding school at about 4 a.m., killed a teacher and the school’s security guard, and kidnapped at least 25 schoolgirls.
Eyewitness accounts say the attackers arrived on motorcycles, first targeting the teacher’s quarters before breaking into the students’ dormitory and whisking the girls away.
The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2014 Chibok abductions, during which Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls in Borno State, many of whom remain missing.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu visited Kebbi State after the incident, directing troops under Operation FANSAN YANMA to work “day and night” to rescue the abducted students. Special forces are currently combing forests and suspected escape routes to track the attackers.
The latest kidnappings have sparked renewed outrage among Nigerians, especially coming amid reports of separate killings, including the death of a vice principal, several students, and four military officers in other security incidents highlighted by citizens online.
Social media users expressed anger over the unrelenting violence and what they describe as federal authorities’ inadequate response.
Critics questioned the priorities of national leaders, noting that while communities are under siege, President Bola Tinubu hosted foreign dignitaries and the Vice President received defecting politicians.
Commentators also challenged global institutions for what they called a passive approach to Nigeria’s worsening security crisis. Some users called for international intervention, arguing that militant groups operate without fear of consequences.
In Taraba State, residents of Amadu in Takum LGA took to the streets in protest, calling on the U.S. government to intervene following another terrorist attack on their community the previous night.
Reactions ranged from condemnation of the government’s handling of terrorism to concerns about underreporting, with some insisting that the attackers be correctly labelled as “terrorists,” not “armed militants.”
As insecurity worsens across several northern states, citizens say they feel increasingly unprotected. “Every day there is news of killings and kidnappings,” one user lamented, noting that global attention remains fixed elsewhere while Nigerian children continue to die or disappear.
Security operations remain ongoing in Kebbi and surrounding states, but families and communities continue to wait anxiously for clearer updates and for the safe return of the abducted schoolgirls.
