Dare Babalola
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called for improved security measures to prevent future attacks on schools, following the recent abduction of students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State.
During the attack, the gunmen killed the Vice Principal, Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and abducted 25 female students.
NANS President, Olushola Oladoja, described the abduction, which coincided with International Students’ Day, as a “devastating blow” to the student community, in a statement released on Tuesday.
“The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is deeply shattered and inconsolably heartbroken by the devastating news of the attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, where armed assailants invaded the school premises at dawn, brutally killed the Vice Principal, Mr. Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and abducted 25 innocent female students,” the association said.
The body said the incident ruined the celebrations planned for the 2025 International Students’ Day.
“The tragic incident, which happened yesterday 17th November, 2025, a day globally dedicated to celebrating ‘International Students’ Day’, set aside for the celebration of students’ resilience, and the future they represent, has broken us beyond measure.”
NANS also recounted past mass abductions of schoolchildren across northern Nigeria, warning that the trend requires urgent national attention.
“These incidents collectively underscore the urgent need for robust preventive security strategies, rather than the usual reactive measures deployed only after lives have been destroyed and families shattered,” it stated.
The association has put forward four key demands, with the first emphasising that such violence against students must not go unpunished.
NANS also urged the Federal Government, Kebbi State Government, and the country’s security agencies to mobilise all necessary resources to secure the safe release of the abducted students.
“Demands high-end proactive security measures around all schools, especially girls’ boarding institutions.
“Calls for intelligence-driven operations that dismantle the criminal networks, enabling these mass abductions,” the statement added.
NANS also expressed condolences to the family of the slain vice principal and solidarity with the parents of the abducted students.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the slain Vice Principal, Mr. Hassan Yakubu Makuku, whose bravery in resisting the attackers, cost him his life. We also pray for the swift recovery of the injured staff member.
“Our hearts go out to the parents and families of the kidnapped students—we stand with you.”
