Boko Haram Terrorists Abduct NECO Candidates in Attack on Borno Secondary School

Suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists on Monday attacked Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting an unspecified number of students who were sitting for the National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.

According to reports, the insurgents stormed the school at about 9:00 a.m., firing sporadically into the air and causing panic among students and staff before whisking away an unknown number of candidates into the bush.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, disclosed that several students remained unaccounted for following the attack.

“At about 9 a.m., an unspecified number of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists attacked a secondary school and shot sporadically into the air. During the attack, an unspecified number of students were abducted, while some are still missing,” Daso said.

The police spokesperson, however, noted that the command could not immediately verify reports alleging that a teacher was killed during the attack.

He added that security agencies had launched a coordinated operation to rescue the abducted students and apprehend the perpetrators.

According to Daso, personnel of the Nigerian military, the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), and the Police Area Commander in Askira/Uba have been deployed to comb nearby forests in search of the victims.

The latest attack has heightened concerns over the safety of schools and students in Borno State, particularly as candidates continue to sit for critical national examinations amid lingering security challenges in parts of the North-East.

The incident occurred in Borno State and involved candidates sitting for examinations conducted by the National Examinations Council.