Witnesses describe early-morning raid as 42 school children abducted in Borno

Fresh fears have gripped communities in Borno State after terrorists abducted 42 schoolchildren in a coordinated early-morning attack on a school in Askira-Uba Local Government Area.

The attack occurred at Primary and Junior Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Mussa, during Friday lessons, with some children also reportedly taken from nearby homes.

The incident came hours after Nigerian and United States forces announced the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, an Islamic State commander described by US authorities as the group’s global second-in-command and a key ISWAP leader in the Lake Chad Basin and wider Sahel.

The joint counter-terrorism operation targeted insurgent positions near the Lake Chad region.

According to accounts from residents and local officials, suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters stormed the school premises while classes were underway.

School records indicate that four secondary school students—two boys and two girls—were kidnapped, along with 28 primary school pupils. An additional 10 children were abducted from nearby homes, bringing the total number of victims to 42.

Witnesses said the attackers arrived suddenly, causing panic among pupils and teachers. Some children reportedly fled into nearby bushes, while others were overpowered and taken away.

A resident of Mussa community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the gunmen moved swiftly between the school and surrounding houses.

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“They came when lessons had started. Before anyone understood what was happening, they had already taken many of the children,” the source said.

Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South, confirmed the abduction and condemned the incident as “barbaric, traumatic and heartbreaking.”

He called on troops of the Joint Task Force North-East and Operation Hadin Kai to intensify efforts to secure the safe return of the children.

Ndume also raised concerns over what he described as a resurgence of attacks in southern Borno, citing recent assaults in Bambatsu and Ngadarma in Chibok, where several residents, including elderly persons, were reportedly killed.

The latest abduction has revived painful memories of past mass kidnappings in the region, including the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, and underscores the continued vulnerability of schools in remote communities located along forest corridors and border areas linking Nigeria with Chad, Niger, and Cameroon.

Security analysts note that such communities remain exposed due to difficult terrain and proximity to insurgent hideouts.

Meanwhile, the military described the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki as one of the most significant counter-terrorism successes in the North-East in recent years.

The operation, which reportedly began at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday and concluded around 4 a.m., involved coordinated air and ground assaults on insurgent strongholds in Metele, Borno State.

While authorities have hailed the operation as a major blow to insurgent leadership, the abduction of the 42 children has cast a shadow over the gains, highlighting the persistent security challenges facing communities in the region.