The identities of the students abducted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists during Monday’s attack on Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, have emerged, as school authorities confirmed that 36 candidates remain in captivity.
Documents obtained by SaharaReporters from the school show that the missing students comprise 25 female and 11 male candidates who were writing the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination when the terrorists stormed the school.
The development provides the first comprehensive account of those still unaccounted for following the brazen attack that once again exposed the vulnerability of schools in Nigeria’s insurgency-ravaged North-East.
The list indicates that although security forces mounted a rescue operation shortly after the attack, only seven abductees have so far regained their freedom.
Those rescued comprise five female students and two teachers.
A teacher who was among those rescued told SaharaReporters that 43 persons were initially abducted, including 41 students and two teachers, leaving 36 students still in Boko Haram captivity.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that troops of Operation HADIN KAI, backed by Nigerian Air Force surveillance and strike aircraft, pursued the fleeing terrorists into the bush, engaged them in a firefight and rescued some of the victims.
Security sources also disclosed that the troops recovered motorcycles used by the insurgents during the operation.
Speaking to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, a staff member of the Government Day Secondary School, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the attack came at a heavy cost.
According to the source, one teacher, one Nigerian soldier and a local hunter were killed during the exchange with the terrorists.
“They paid the supreme sacrifice while trying to stop the terrorists from taking away the students,” the source said.
The attack occurred while students were sitting for their NECO examinations after the insurgents reportedly infiltrated Lassa community on motorcycles, disguising themselves as soldiers and operatives of the newly created Forest Guards on the town’s market day before launching the assault. Security officials said the gunmen fired sporadically, killing a teacher before whisking away students into nearby forests.
The Borno State government has since confirmed that the abducted students are between 15 and 18 years old, while efforts involving the military, police, Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and local vigilantes are continuing to secure the release of those still being held.
The latest mass abduction has renewed concerns over the persistent targeting of schools by Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, ISWAP, despite repeated assurances by Nigerian authorities that educational institutions in the North-East are adequately protected.
