THE wife of the slain Vice Principal of Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, has narrated how her daughter escaped during the deadly attack that led to the abduction of 25 schoolgirls.
News Point Nigeria reports that Amina Hassan said the attackers broke into their home around 3:30 a.m. while the family slept.
“What happened is that we were asleep around 3.30 a.m. when I heard movements behind our window. So I tried to wake my husband up to tell him that the animals are destroying our things outside. Before I knew it, there was a bang on our door and it was forcefully opened,” she said.
Mrs Hassan said they initially thought the disturbance came from animals.
“So I tapped my husband to tell him that the animals have gotten into the house and they are really destroying our things. As soon as he got up, we realised they were not animals but robbers armed with guns.
“We started struggling with them. Then one of them pulled out his gun and shot my husband. Then they dragged me by my hand outside the house,” she said.
“So I told them to leave me alone that I would not go with them since they have killed the father of my children and they are asking the children to go in and sleep,” she added.
Mrs Hassan said her daughter came out during the struggle.
“I was still arguing with them when my daughter came out. Then they left me and went to her and took her with them, leading them to the hostel.
“Then they told her to lay down so they can shoot her too. So she told them, ‘I should lay down so that you can shoot me.’ They said ‘yes.’
“So she asked that they allow her to go and ease herself. But then they opened the door and saw other girls, and their attention was shifted from my girl,” she said.
The vice principal’s wife said this distraction helped her daughter escape.
“That was how she was able to escape into the bush. By the time she came back, it was already morning,” she said.
Witnesses said the attackers operated without resistance and spread panic across the community.
Makuku was reportedly shot while trying to protect the students during the invasion.
Kebbi Police spokesman CSP Nafiu Abubakar confirmed the abduction and the killing of the Vice Principal.
He said they were combing nearby forests to rescue the victims and arrest the attackers.
He said the gunmen scaled the school fence and took 25 students from the hostel.
Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris, through his Chief Press Secretary, Ahmed Idris, said Deputy Governor Senator Umar Tafida had been dispatched to assess the situation.
He said the governor was out of the state but receiving security briefings.
The Federal Government condemned the attack. Information Minister Mohammed Idris said security agencies had been directed to locate the students and ensure their safe rescue.
He said President Bola Tinubu viewed the protection of students as a core responsibility of the state.
Residents continue to mourn Makuku, who died while defending his students. Parents remain anxious as the search for the abducted girls continues.
Northern Governors Express Outrage
In a reated development, the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has strongly condemned the attack.
Reacting to the the unfortunate incident, the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, described it as tragic, senseless and utterly unacceptable, noting that the continued targeting of schools poses a grave threat to the region’s stability and the nation’s educational future.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya, on behalf of his colleagues in the NSGF, commiserated with the Government and people of Kebbi State, especially the families of the abducted students and those who lost their lives in the attack.
He assured Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State of the Forum’s solidarity and support during this difficult moment.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya said schools must be sanctuaries of learning, not targets of violence, warning that continued assaults on educational institutions threaten to reverse gains made in improving school enrollment and curbing the out-of-school crisis in the region.
He expressed deep concern over the trauma the abducted schoolgirls may be facing and called for an immediate and well-coordinated operation by security agencies to ensure their safe rescue and the arrest of the perpetrators.
Reaffirming the commitment of the NSGF to collaborate with the Federal Government and security institutions, Governor Inuwa Yahaya stated that the safety, education and welfare of young Nigerians remain a top priority for the Forum.
The NSGF Chairman prayed for the safe and early return of the abducted schoolgirls and extended his heartfelt sympathies to the affected families, urging communities to remain vigilant and cooperative with security agencies in the collective effort to rid the region of criminality.