Insurgents suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists attacked and abducted a significant number of students from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in the Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State on Friday morning. The attackers reportedly infiltrated the school premises at approximately 9:00 am, disguised in military camouflage, and ordered pupils to follow them.
The local community is currently in a state of mourning as parents continue to search for their children. The school, located on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest, has been a vulnerable point for security breaches due to its proximity to insurgent hideouts.
Abdullahi Askira, Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, confirmed the incident to journalists. While acknowledging the breach, he declined to provide a definitive figure regarding the number of children taken, noting that many students fled into the surrounding bush during the chaos.
Security vacuum exploited following troop withdrawal
Askira described the situation as disheartening, revealing that the insurgents struck only minutes after military patrol teams had departed the community. This indicates a high level of surveillance by the attackers on troop movements within the Southern Borno corridor.
Yohanna Musa, a local vigilante member, corroborated reports of the mass abduction, stating that the community remains in a state of panic as residents attempt to track the missing pupils. Efforts to reach Madu Saidu, Chairman of the Askira-Uba Local Government Area, for an official casualty and abduction count have so far been unsuccessful.
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