Borno School releases identities of 36 students still held by Boko Haram after NECO attack

Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, has confirmed the identities of 36 students who remain in captivity following Monday’s attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

The students were among candidates sitting for the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination when gunmen stormed the school and abducted dozens of people.

According to school records, the victims still in captivity comprise 25 female candidates and 11 male candidates.

The confirmation provides a clearer picture of the scale of the abduction as security agencies continue efforts to rescue the students.

Initial reports indicated that 43 people, including 41 students and two teachers, were abducted during the attack. However, seven victims have since been rescued, comprising five female students and two teachers.

One of the rescued teachers confirmed that many of the students remain in captivity despite ongoing military operations.

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI, supported by the Nigerian Air Force, reportedly launched a pursuit operation shortly after the attack, tracking the fleeing insurgents into nearby bushes where an exchange of gunfire ensued.

Security sources disclosed that several motorcycles allegedly used by the attackers were recovered during the operation.

A staff member of the school, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, described the attack as devastating.

According to the source, a teacher, a soldier and a local hunter were killed while attempting to prevent the insurgents from abducting the students.

“They paid the supreme sacrifice while trying to stop the terrorists from taking away the students,” the source said.

Witnesses said the attackers entered Lassa community on motorcycles, disguising themselves as soldiers and members of the newly introduced Forest Guards.

The insurgents reportedly exploited the town’s market day before launching the assault.

Residents said the gunmen opened fire indiscriminately, causing panic across the community before forcibly taking the students into nearby forest areas.

The Borno State Government has confirmed that the abducted students are between 15 and 18 years old.

Authorities said joint rescue efforts involving the military, police, the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and local vigilante groups are ongoing.

The latest attack has renewed concerns over the continued targeting of schools by Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), despite repeated assurances by security agencies on the protection of educational institutions in the North-East.

The incident has also heightened fears over the deteriorating security situation in southern Borno.

The attack occurred barely 24 hours after another kidnapping incident in the Askira/Uba axis, where several women working on farms were abducted by gunmen.

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