At least 36 students remain missing following a deadly attack on Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, prompting the state government to temporarily close schools in three communities.
The attack, carried out on Monday by suspected ISWAP terrorists during an ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examination, claimed the lives of two teachers and led to the abduction of an unspecified number of students.
Tension escalated on Tuesday when a state government delegation, led by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, visited Lassa to sympathise with affected families. The visit was disrupted by angry youths and parents who demanded the immediate rescue of the abducted students instead of official condolences.
The protesters repeatedly chanted, “We don’t want any talk, just go and bring back our children,” forcing the delegation to cut short its address and leave the community under security escort.
Parents have since begun registering the names of missing children at the request of authorities. Community members said at least 36 students remain unaccounted for.
One parent, Mbula Bura, said his 19-year-old daughter, Esther Mbula, was among those missing after the attack.
Another resident, Emmanuel Dari, said his 16-year-old daughter, Lucy Emmanuel, who was writing her examinations, had not been seen since the incident.
A resident, Bitrus Milnda, also confirmed that two of his relatives, Martha Wajau and Abori Ujulu, both SS1 students, were among those abducted.
Earlier, the military announced that troops under Operation Hadin Kai, supported by air surveillance, rescued 10 victims, including students and teachers, during a search-and-rescue operation. The military also confirmed that two security personnel were killed during the mission.
Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, said efforts were ongoing to rescue the remaining abductees, although the exact number of those still in captivity was being verified.
Meanwhile, the Borno State Government has ordered the temporary closure of schools in Lassa, Dille and Chul communities as a precautionary measure.
Governor Babagana Zulum’s spokesperson, Dauda Iliya, said the decision followed an emergency stakeholders’ meeting held during the government’s visit to Lassa.
According to the report presented at the meeting, 39 people from Government Day Secondary School were affected by the attack, including three teaching staff and 36 students. Of the missing students, 25 are female and 11 are male, drawn from SS1, SS2 and SS3 classes.
The government said students currently writing public examinations would be relocated to Government Secondary School, Uba, to enable them to continue their examinations safely.
Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to working with security agencies and community leaders to secure the release of the abducted students and strengthen security around schools in the state.
