Parents in northwestern Nigeria are living through every family’s worst nightmare as they wait for news about their daughters who were abducted during an early-morning attack on a local high school. Many say they are still struggling to process what happened.
Before sunrise on Monday, armed men stormed the school hostel, killing a staff member and taking 25 schoolgirls from their dormitories in Maga, Danko-Wasagu area. The attack left the entire community shaken.
Aisha Sani, whose two daughters were taken, says the moment she learned the truth broke her completely:
“Our two girls have been kidnapped. One is in SS3 and the other in SS2. We heard a gunshot in the night but assumed it was the security team. It wasn’t until morning that we discovered the heartbreaking truth.”
For another parent, Usman Muhammad, the fear goes beyond the abduction. He worries that no one will feel safe to send their children back to school unless strong security measures are put in place:
“No child will return unless adequate security is provided. Parents are already saying they won’t risk it again.”
The school’s principal, Hajia Rabi Musa Magaji, tried to comfort the families, saying that authorities are fully involved:
“Everyone who should be here is here. They have assured us that the girls will be rescued, and we believe it will happen soon.”
Incidents like this bring back painful memories of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, which left a permanent scar on many Nigerian families. Despite improvements in security, parents continue to live with the fear that their children are not safe at school.