The Maga community in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State is set to hold a special prayer session on Friday seeking divine intervention for the safe return of 25 schoolgirls abducted earlier this week.
The District Head of Maga, Muhammad Sanid Dantani, confirmed the development in a telephone interview on Thursday, saying the community remains deeply traumatised by the attack.
“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.
The abduction occurred in the early hours of Monday when armed bandits attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga. The incident sparked widespread outrage and renewed calls for improved security around schools in the North-West.
Community leaders noted that the attackers may have exploited a vulnerability created when security personnel previously assigned to guard the school reportedly withdrew from their posts shortly before the raid.
Residents of Maga have been holding nightly gatherings to show solidarity with affected families and urge authorities to expedite rescue efforts. Friday’s special prayer is expected to draw clerics, traditional leaders, political office holders, and residents.
Beyond the immediate goal of securing the safe return of the students, the session will also focus on peace and security across the region, which continues to experience violent attacks despite ongoing military operations.
Governor Nasir Idris, who visited the community earlier this week, reassured parents that the state government is working closely with security agencies to rescue the abducted schoolgirls.
At the federal level, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through Vice President Kashim Shettima, pledged to deploy all necessary resources to track down the perpetrators and secure the release of the victims.
The abduction is part of a continuing pattern of attacks on schools in northern Nigeria since the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping. In Kebbi State alone, previous raids in Yauri and other communities have left parents in constant fear for their children’s safety.
Similar special prayer sessions were held in Zuru town on Wednesday and Thursday, highlighting the widespread anxiety and collective desire for divine intervention among communities in the state.
