Kidnapped Kebbi Schoolgirls Located, Rescue Expected Soon by Security Forces, Says Senator Maidoki

Authorities in Kebbi State say security teams are closing in on the location of the schoolgirls abducted earlier this week, raising hopes among anxious families that a rescue operation may soon reach a breakthrough.

Senator Garba Maidoki, who represents Kebbi South in the National Assembly, disclosed during a televised interview that security agencies have traced the movement of the armed group responsible for the attack.

According to him, credible intelligence suggests the children are still within reachable territory, and all indicators point toward an imminent rescue.

He stressed that both local and federal security formations are working in coordinated fashion to ensure the girls return alive.

The attack occurred at the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, where armed men invaded the premises late at night. Witnesses recounted how the assailants fired sporadically to create panic before heading to the students’ hostels, seizing dozens of girls and forcing them into the surrounding forest.

A staff member who tried to shield the children was killed during the assault, deepening the grief of the already devastated community.

Since the incident, the area has seen a heavy deployment of military personnel, police units, and local vigilante groups. Search parties have spread across remote communities, riverbanks, and forest trails in an attempt to block escape routes and intercept the kidnappers. Security commanders have maintained secrecy regarding specific operational details, insisting that public disclosure might compromise ongoing efforts.

Residents say the attack underscores a growing trend of targeted school kidnappings in northwestern Nigeria, a tactic frequently used by criminal groups to pressure authorities or extract ransom.

Analysts warn that unless preventive security measures are strengthened, rural communities and educational institutions will remain vulnerable.

Meanwhile, humanitarian groups and education advocates are urging government agencies to improve intelligence gathering around schools, reinforce safety protocols, and invest in long-term solutions to secure learning environments.

For now, the hearts of families in Maga remain fixed on one outcome: the safe return of their daughters.

Senator Maidoki urged the public to remain calm, expressing confidence that security operatives are “close to the finish line.” As operations intensify, the nation watches closely, hoping that the children will be brought home safely and that the ordeal will mark a turning point in the protection of students across the region.