Kebbi Schoolgirls: Community holds prayer session for safe return

The Maga community in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State is set to hold a special prayer gathering on Friday, appealing for divine intervention for the safe return of schoolgirls abducted earlier this week.

Confirming the development to journalists on Thursday, the District Head of Maga, Muhammad Sanid Dantani, said the attack has thrown the entire community into distress. He added that residents have turned to spiritual means as security agencies intensify efforts to rescue the girls.

“We have decided to gather on Friday for a special prayer for the safe return of our daughters.

“The whole community is traumatised, and we believe prayer is our strongest weapon at this moment,” he said.

Armed bandits stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in the early hours of Monday, seizing 25 students. The abduction has sparked widespread condemnation and renewed calls for improved protection for schools across the North-West.

The raid reportedly took place less than an hour after security personnel assigned to guard the school withdrew from their posts — a lapse that community leaders and parents say exposed the school to attack.

The incident adds to a troubling pattern of school kidnappings in northern Nigeria, dating back to the 2014 Chibok abductions. In Kebbi State, earlier attacks in Yauri and other areas have left residents on edge amid lingering insecurity.

Maga residents have continued to hold nightly vigils, offering comfort to affected families while urging authorities to quicken their response.

Friday’s special prayer, expected to attract clerics, traditional rulers, government officials and residents, forms part of the community’s collective push for the students’ rescue.

The district head said the prayer session will also seek divine peace for the region, which has faced persistent violence despite ongoing military operations.

Similar prayer sessions were held in Zuru on Wednesday and Thursday.

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