Gunmen killed one staff member and abducted 25 students from a girls boarding school in Nigeria's Kebbi state early Monday, the police said.

The assailants, armed with rifles and reportedly using coordinated tactics, stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town around 1 a.m. local time.

Vice Principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku was shot dead while resisting the attackers, and a security guard sustained injuries, a teacher told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns.

The gunmen fled toward the neighboring state of Zamfara with the abducted students, the teacher said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and there has been no immediate comment from security forces.

Northwest Nigeria has experienced recurrent mass abductions from schools by armed gangs seeking ransom payments, despite government promises to enhance security in the region.