Ten of those abducted from the Government Day Secondary School in Lassa by suspected Islamic State militants have been rescued, the military has said
An unspecified number of students taking secondary school examinations have been kidnapped in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State, the authorities say, in the latest attack targeting educational institutions in Africa’s most populous country.
The incident occurred on Monday morning when heavily armed men suspected to be Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants stormed the Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira-Uba Local Government Area, according to the Nigerian Army.
Army spokesperson Mohammed Goni said ten abducted students and teachers have since been rescued, and search operations are ongoing to locate the remaining victims.
One soldier and one member of a civilian task force assisting security forces in counterinsurgency operations were killed during an “intense exchange of fire with the terrorists,” Goni said in a statement.
He said the troops inflicted casualties on the “fleeing terrorists” and seized seven of their motorcycles during the operation.
“Security measures across the affected area have also been reinforced to protect vulnerable communities, safeguard schools and prevent any recurrence,” Goni stated.
TROOPS OF OPERATION HADIN KAI RESCUE ABDUCTED NECO CANDIDATES IN LASSA, INTENSIFY SEARCH FOR REMAINING VICTIM
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have successfully rescued ten National Examinations Council (NECO) candidates and teachers abducted during an ISWAP attack on Lassa… pic.twitter.com/amqDYhwcgu
Nigeria’s northeast has been the epicenter of a long-running insurgency led by Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), both of which have repeatedly targeted villages and schools across the region. The groups have carried out mass abductions in Borno State since the 2014 kidnapping of more than 270 Chibok schoolgirls.
The latest attack comes just weeks after gunmen seized more than 40 students from the Primary and Junior Government Day Secondary School in Mussa-Biri community, also in Askira-Uba Local Government Area on May 15. Askira-Uba lies in southern Borno State near the Sambisa Forest, a known militant stronghold.
Several other states in the West African country have also been affected by the escalating violence, despite increased security measures, including a state of emergency declared by the government last November.
At least 20 people were killed in an armed attack in Kawel village in Plateau State last week, according to police. Last month, gunmen attacked two primary schools in the Oriire area of Oyo State, killing a staff member and abducting an unspecified number of victims. On May 8, the authorities said 17 police officers were killed when terrorists launched an assault on the Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Buni Yadi, Yobe State.
