The Northern States Governors’ Forum has denounced the attack on Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, describing the abduction of female students as a brutal assault on the region’s future.
Bandits stormed the school in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, taking away 25 female students and reportedly killing a school official during the invasion.
The incident has intensified concern over the persistent targeting of educational institutions in northern Nigeria.
Forum chairman and Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, reacted forcefully on Monday, insisting that the region “will not stand by while criminals turn young girls into bargaining chips.”
He said the attack represents “a painful reminder that communities remain vulnerable despite ongoing security efforts.”
Through a statement issued by his spokesperson, Yahaya warned that repeated assaults on schools threaten the stability of the North and erode years of investment in expanding access to education.
He lamented that such attacks discourage families from sending their children, particularly girls, to school.
The governor extended the forum’s condolences to the government and people of Kebbi State, expressing sympathy for the families of the abducted students and those mourning loved ones.
He assured Governor Nasir Idris that the northern governors remain united in support and will stand with Kebbi during this difficult period.
Yahaya emphasised that schools must be safe environments, not battlegrounds for criminals seeking attention or ransom.
“Every child deserves the freedom to learn without fear,” he said, urging security agencies to intensify operations aimed at rescuing the abducted girls and apprehending the attackers.
He voiced deep concern over the traumatic conditions the kidnapped students may be enduring and called for a swift, coordinated response from security forces to prevent further tragedy.
Reaffirming the NSGF’s collaboration with the federal government, Yahaya noted that the welfare and safety of children remain a top priority for northern leaders.
He appealed to residents to stay vigilant and support security agencies with credible information that could help in curbing criminal activity.
The Kebbi attack has once again drawn attention to the fragile state of education in conflict-affected communities, where fear continues to overshadow the right to learn.