Security agencies have launched a manhunt for suspected terrorists following the abduction of an unspecified number of students sitting for the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination 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 armed men, suspected to be members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), stormed the school.
The attackers reportedly fired indiscriminately before abducting several students and women who were selling food within the school premises.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, said security operatives engaged the attackers, preventing what could have been a larger-scale abduction.
According to Daso, the attack took place at about 9:00am, with the gunmen opening fire before fleeing with an unspecified number of students.
He added that the Commissioner of Police had deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba, while security personnel were combing nearby bushes in search of the victims and the fleeing suspects.
Solomon Kwamagar, Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the Adamawa State Governor and a native of Lassa, also confirmed the attack.
He disclosed that the gunmen arrived on motorcycles, passed through the local market, and headed directly to the school.
Kwamagar said the attackers killed one teacher before abducting students from their classrooms.
He noted that efforts were ongoing to determine the exact number of students taken during the raid.
The President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, alleged that the attackers disguised themselves in military and forest guard uniforms.
He said one teacher was killed, another sustained gunshot injuries, while several students and traders at the school were abducted.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to confirm the total number of casualties or abductees, while security operations remained ongoing in the area.
