MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA — Heavily armed insurgents suspected to be members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched a daring daylight attack on a secondary school in Borno State, abducting an unspecified number of students.
The attack occurred at about 9:00 a.m. on Monday, June 29, 2026, at Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area. The students, most of whom were between 16 and 17 years old, were sitting for their National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations when the gunmen stormed the school.
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Chaos at the Examination Centre
According to local reports, the insurgents invaded the school, firing indiscriminately. The gunfire shattered the calm atmosphere, triggering panic as students, invigilators, and external examination officials fled in different directions to escape.
Taking advantage of the confusion, the attackers abducted an unconfirmed number of students and fled into the surrounding bush. Local sources also said the insurgents kidnapped several women who were operating food and refreshment stalls within the school premises at the time of the attack.
The Borno State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying a combined team of security operatives was immediately deployed to the scene to repel the attackers and secure the area.
Security Forces Respond
Speaking on the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, said security personnel swiftly engaged the fleeing ISWAP fighters in a gun battle, preventing what could have become a much larger mass abduction.
“Around 9:00 a.m., ISWAP fighters attacked Government Day Secondary School in Lassa. They fired sporadically, and an unspecified number of students were abducted. Our security forces confronted them immediately. For now, we have an unconfirmed number of missing students,” ASP Daso said.
The police spokesperson added that the Commissioner of Police had directed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba to coordinate an intensive search-and-rescue operation. Joint security teams are currently combing nearby forests and suspected insurgent routes in an effort to rescue the abducted victims.
As of the time of filing this report, security officials and school authorities were still conducting a headcount to determine the exact number of missing students and civilian vendors. Security has also been reinforced around neighbouring schools in the state.
This attack comes just six weeks after armed attackers stormed three schools in Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, abducting dozens of pupils and teachers and killing a teacher. Many of the victims are yet to regain their freedom, highlighting growing concerns over the continued targeting of schools by armed groups across different parts of Nigeria.
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