Terrorists storm Borno school during NECO exams, abduct students, kill teacher

Security agencies have launched a coordinated manhunt for suspected terrorists following the abduction of an unspecified number of students sitting for the National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations during an attack on a secondary school in Borno State.

The incident occurred on Monday morning at Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, when heavily armed men believed to be members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) stormed the school, fired sporadically and whisked away students writing their examinations.

The attackers also reportedly abducted several women selling food within the school premises, throwing the community into panic.

Confirming the attack, the spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, said security operatives swiftly responded to the incident and engaged the assailants, preventing what could have been a larger-scale abduction.

According to him, the attackers struck at about 9 a.m., opening fire before fleeing with an unspecified number of students.

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“Around 9 a.m., ISWAP attacked Lassa Day Secondary School. They shot sporadically. An unspecified number of students have been abducted. The Commissioner of Police has deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba, and security personnel are currently combing the bush,” Daso said.

He added that security agencies had intensified search-and-rescue operations across surrounding forests and communities with the aim of rescuing the victims and apprehending the fleeing terrorists.

Also confirming the incident, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the Adamawa State Governor, Solomon Kwamagar, who hails from Lassa, said the gunmen invaded the town on motorcycles before heading directly to the school.

“They came through the market on motorcycles and went straight to Government Day Secondary School in Lassa. They killed one teacher and took away students from their classrooms,” Kwamagar said.

He noted that authorities were still working to determine the exact number of students abducted during the attack.

Further details emerged from the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, who alleged that the attackers disguised themselves in military and forest guard uniforms to gain easier access to the school.

According to him, one teacher was killed during the assault while another sustained gunshot injuries.

He added that, apart from the students, several traders, including women selling food within the school premises, were also abducted by the terrorists.

The attack disrupted the ongoing NECO examinations and has heightened concerns over the safety of students and educational institutions in parts of the North-East, where insurgent groups continue to target schools despite sustained military operations against them.

As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to confirm the exact number of those killed, injured or abducted.

Security forces have continued combing surrounding bushes and remote communities in search of the victims, while investigations into the attack remain ongoing.