Security operatives have rescued seven students who were abducted during an attack on a secondary school in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State while they were writing the National Examinations Council examinations.
The rescue operation followed a coordinated response by personnel of the Nigerian Army, the Police, and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force after terrorists stormed Lassa Day Secondary School on Monday.
Confirming the development, the Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, said security agencies were still working to secure the release of the remaining victims.
“Seven of the abducted persons have been rescued so far. We are still assessing the situation and cannot immediately confirm their gender. Efforts are ongoing to rescue the others,” Tar said.
The commissioner explained that authorities were yet to determine the total number of students taken during the attack, noting that an assessment team had been dispatched to the affected community.
“We have sent a delegation to the community to evaluate the situation and reassure residents as security operations continue,” he added.
The attack occurred on Monday morning when suspected ISWAP fighters reportedly invaded the school on motorcycles, firing gunshots before abducting an unspecified number of students writing the NECO examination, as well as women conducting business within the school premises.
Earlier, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, said security personnel engaged the attackers, preventing what could have been a much larger abduction.
“At about 9 a.m., ISWAP terrorists attacked Lassa Day Secondary School, firing sporadically before abducting an unspecified number of students. Security forces confronted the attackers, limiting the scale of the incident,” Daso said.
The latest attack adds to a series of assaults on schools in Nigeria’s North-East, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted educational institutions despite ongoing military operations in the region.
