Armed attackers stormed Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, on the morning of June 29, killing teachers, abducting students and staff, and disrupting the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.
The attack occurred shortly before 9:00 a.m. as students were preparing to sit for their Biology examination scheduled for 10:00 a.m.
According to school officials and residents, the attackers arrived on more than 40 motorcycles. Many were reportedly dressed in military camouflage and armed with AK 47 rifles. The assault lasted about 20 minutes before security personnel pursued the attackers into nearby bushland.
School examination officer Imperiju Mamza said one student registered for the NECO examination was among those abducted.
He explained that 243 candidates had registered for the examination, and apart from the abducted student, the remaining 242 candidates were able to continue writing their Biology paper after being relocated under armed protection to Government Girls Secondary School in Lassa.
Mamza said authorities were still compiling the names of all students and staff taken during the attack, making it difficult to immediately confirm the total number of abductees.
Residents said the attackers appeared to have specifically targeted the school rather than the surrounding community.
Timothy Apagu, whose business is located near the school, said residents had received reports early that morning of suspicious armed men moving around Muthalavu village on the outskirts of Lassa.
Community vigilantes reportedly deployed toward the Dille axis after receiving the alert. However, another group of attackers approached from a different direction and entered the school.
According to Apagu, one teacher was killed during the attack, while another later died from gunshot injuries at Lassa General Hospital.
He also said two teachers, including the school’s Vice Principal, identified as Mr. Paul, and a female teacher known as Madam Angelina, were abducted along with several students. Security personnel later rescued the Vice Principal during the pursuit, while the female teacher remained in captivity at the time of reporting.
Another resident, Andrew Adamu, said security forces rescued one teacher and five students during the operation and recovered six motorcycles abandoned by the fleeing attackers. He also reported that one female student escaped despite suffering gunshot wounds.
The reported rescue figures could not be independently verified.
Residents said soldiers and local vigilantes immediately pursued the attackers after the assault. During the operation, one soldier and one member of the local vigilante group were reportedly killed.
Community members noted that although a military base is located less than one kilometre from the school, the number of security personnel stationed there is limited.
The Borno State Police Command confirmed that the attack took place but said authorities were still verifying the number of abducted students.
Police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso said the Area Commander for Askira Uba and other officers had been deployed to the community following the incident.
Responding to questions about school security after the abduction of more than 40 schoolchildren in nearby Mussa the previous month, Daso said police presence around schools had been increased but acknowledged that Government Day Secondary School lacked a perimeter fence, making it easier for attackers to gain access.
School authorities said they had repeatedly requested the construction of a perimeter fence following the earlier attack in Mussa.
Mamza explained that the school is located approximately one kilometre from the town centre and shares an open boundary with the Lassa Vocational Training Centre, making it particularly vulnerable to attacks.
The latest assault comes only weeks after the abduction of dozens of schoolchildren in neighbouring Mussa, renewing concerns about the safety of schools across southern Borno despite ongoing security measures aimed at protecting students and education facilities.
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