Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
In a brazen attack that exposed the vulnerability of schools in Nigeria's North-East, suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists, dressed in military camouflage and forest guard uniforms, stormed Government Day Secondary School in Lassa town, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, on Monday morning, June 29, 2026, abducting an unspecified number of students writing the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination.
The attackers, who arrived on motorcycles, swept through the community on a busy market day, firing sporadically and sending panic through the town. According to police spokesperson ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, the assault began around 9 a.m. when the terrorists invaded the school premises. Security operatives responded swiftly and engaged the attackers, preventing what could have been a larger-scale abduction.
The President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, alleged that the attackers wore military and forest guard uniforms, passed through a military checkpoint unchallenged, and shot sporadically before carrying out the abductions. One teacher was killed during the attack, while another sustained gunshot wounds. Several students and women selling food on the school premises were also abducted.
The identity of the deceased teacher has not been officially disclosed, but community sources indicated the teacher was from Chibok. Some residents also claimed that two teachers and a female student were killed in the attack, with the student reportedly shot in the mouth.
Residents alleged that troops stationed in the area were away on patrol to nearby Uba, about 16 kilometres from Lassa, when the insurgents struck, leaving the community vulnerable. “The soldiers were not around when the terrorists invaded. They came in large numbers, shooting indiscriminately and causing panic. They took away students writing NECO and their teachers,” a resident said.
Security forces, including the military, police, and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), have launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation, combing the surrounding forests in an effort to locate the abducted students and apprehend the attackers. The Commissioner of Police has deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba to lead the operation.
Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, confirmed that seven of the abducted students have been rescued. However, the exact number of missing candidates has yet to be confirmed, as search teams continue to comb surrounding communities and suspected escape routes.
This latest attack comes just weeks after another incident in the same local government area, where 42 students and pupils were abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School on May 16, 2026. The attack has once again raised concerns over the safety of schools in parts of Borno State, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted educational institutions despite ongoing military operations in the North-East region.
The Borno State Police Command has urged members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies as efforts intensify to secure the release of the abducted students and prevent further attacks on schools in the area.
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