Borno School Attack: 35 Students Still Missing After Gunmen Strike

At least 35 students are still missing after gunmen attacked a secondary school in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, on Monday. This happened despite ongoing rescue efforts by security forces, according to Jagila Jabila, the councillor representing Lassa Ward.

The attack took place while students were getting ready for the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams. This caused panic in the community and led to a search-and-rescue operation involving troops from Operation HADIN KAI, local vigilantes, and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

In an interview on Tuesday, Ms Jabila rejected social media claims that all the abducted students had been rescued. "It is not true," she said. "We only rescued seven students and one teacher. Now, we are together with their parents. We are compiling the list of the missing students. So far, we have 35 names that are missing."

She explained that the number is based on information from community leaders and parents, and it might change as they continue to verify names. The spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, said the attackers took advantage of the market day in Lassa to enter the community.

Mr Daso, while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, said the gunmen posed as traders. "A large number of gunmen invaded the Lassa community," he said. "Yesterday was the market day of the community, and they disguised themselves, concealed their weapons, sneaked into the town and started shooting sporadically into the air."

When asked about reports that the attackers wore military and forest guard uniforms, Ms Jabila confirmed, "It’s true." The police reported that one teacher was killed and another suffered gunshot wounds during the attack.

The Nigerian Army stated that troops from Operation HADIN KAI, supported by air assets, tracked the attackers to the Daggu area. There, they engaged in a firefight and rescued 10 victims. Captain Mohammed Goni, the Acting Military Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-East, said the operation included intelligence and surveillance support for ground troops.

He mentioned that one soldier and one member of the Civilian Joint Task Force were killed during the operation, and seven motorcycles used by the attackers were recovered. But both police and military officials said they are still trying to determine the total number of victims. Some students ran away to nearby communities during the attack.

Mr Daso added that officials are checking attendance records with the school and parents to find out how many students are still missing. Ms Jabila said that security personnel and local vigilantes who chased the attackers had not returned to the community as of Tuesday morning.

"Yesterday, they called the military and our local vigilante. They slept out. Up to now, they have not returned home, so we don’t know exactly what is happening," she said. She described the situation in Lassa as anxious, with parents waiting for news about their children.

"We are together with the parents. All of them are in shock. We are hoping and praying to God to bring back our students safely," she added. She urged both the federal and Borno State governments to step up efforts to rescue those still missing.

"We are pleading with the government to bring back our students safely. That is the only plea that we have for now," she said. This attack comes about six weeks after another mass abduction in the nearby Mussa community, where many pupils were taken from a primary and junior secondary school.

When asked if any new security measures had been put in place around schools after that incident, Ms Jabila replied, "No." Her answer raises new concerns about how schools in southern Borno are protected from armed groups.

As of Tuesday morning, Borno State authorities were still working to confirm the number of affected students. Security forces continued search-and-rescue operations in nearby communities and forests.