From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has condemned the abduction of schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, describing the attack as “one tragedy too many”.
Secretary-General, Prof. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, said it received the news of the abduction with “absolute shock”, noting that the incident occurred barely days after a major security summit was held in Birnin-Kebbi.
JNI expressed deep frustration that such a large-scale attack could still occur despite repeated warnings and precedents in Chibok, Dapchi, Kankara and Kagara.
The body described the Maga abduction as tragic, heartless and avoidable, arguing that adequate security measures should have been in place to protect boarding schools, especially those housing female students. It said the attack underscores a troubling pattern of security lapses that has allowed criminals to operate “brazenly and unchallenged” across the region.
JNI expressed concern over what it called a lack of synergy among security agencies in Kebbi State, stressing that recent kidnappings—including the abduction and release of the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly—highlight persistent failures in intelligence gathering and operational coordination. It questioned how armed attackers were able to access the school undetected and why no early warning signals were triggered to prevent the tragedy.
The organisation warned that, beyond the immediate suffering, repeated attacks on schools pose a major threat to girl-child education in Northern Nigeria. It cautioned that parents may increasingly fear sending their daughters to boarding schools, thereby undermining decades of advocacy for female education and widening the region’s educational gap.
“And the North is the loser”, it said.
JNI extended its condolences to the families of the slain Vice-Principal, the abducted students and the affected community, praying for strength, resilience and a safe reunion for all victims. It also urged the people and government of Kebbi State not to despair, expressing confidence that divine guidance and steadfast action would prevail.
The body called on Muslim clerics nationwide to commence Qunootun-Nawazil—special prayers during obligatory and voluntary prayers—seeking Allah’s intervention in Nigeria’s security challenges. It also urged the government at all levels to deploy every necessary measure to ensure the immediate rescue of the abducted Maga girls, along with the Chibok and Dapchi schoolgirls still in captivity.
“Enough should be enough”, JNI declared, urging the government and security agencies to rise to the challenge and halt the trend of recurring school abductions before it becomes catastrophic for the country.
