Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted an unspecified number of students from Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, after attacking the community while candidates were sitting for the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
The attack, which occurred on Monday morning, threw the entire community into panic as the armed men reportedly stormed the school in large numbers, disrupting the examination and forcing students and teachers to flee for safety.
During the assault, one teacher was shot dead, while another sustained gunshot injuries. The exact number of students taken away by the attackers has yet to be confirmed as security agencies continue efforts to determine the extent of the incident.
Residents who spoke to journalists claimed the attackers struck at a time when military personnel stationed in the area were away on patrol to nearby Uba, about 16 kilometres from Lassa.
According to one resident, the absence of the soldiers created an opportunity for the gunmen to invade the community unhindered.
“The soldiers were not around when the terrorists invaded. They came in large numbers, firing sporadically and causing panic everywhere. They took away students writing NECO and their teachers,” the resident alleged.
The incident has heightened concerns over the security of schools in parts of northern Nigeria, where students and teachers have repeatedly come under attack by armed groups despite ongoing efforts by security agencies to protect educational institutions.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, said the attack had been reported and acknowledged that several students remain unaccounted for following the raid.
Authorities have yet to release the exact number of those abducted or provide details on rescue operations, while efforts are ongoing to locate the missing students and ensure the safety of other residents affected by the attack.
The latest incident adds to growing security challenges in parts of Borno State, where communities continue to face attacks from armed groups, raising fresh concerns about the safety of students sitting for public examinations in conflict-affected areas.
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