At least 37 students are still missing following the attack on Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, where gunmen stormed the school during the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
Gatekeepers News reports that the attack occurred on Monday morning when suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents invaded the community and disrupted the examination. Security sources said the assailants abducted an unspecified number of students, while a teacher was reportedly killed and another injured during the assault.
Troops and local security operatives were able to rescue 10 students and a teacher shortly after the attack. However, parents of the affected students say dozens remain unaccounted for. According to reports, the Borno State Government has opened a register for families to report missing relatives, with 37 names already recorded.
Borno police spokesperson Nahum Daso confirmed the incident and said security personnel, including the military, police, hunters and vigilantes, have continued search-and-rescue operations in the area to locate the missing students and track down the attackers.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over the safety of schools in Nigeria’s north-east, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted educational institutions despite ongoing military operations against insurgents.
