UPDATED: Police Launch Massive Search After Terrorists Abduct NECO Students in Borno

The Borno State Police Command has launched a large-scale search-and-rescue operation following the abduction of an unspecified number of students sitting for the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, after suspected ISWAP terrorists attacked their school on Monday morning.

The incident, which has sparked renewed concerns over the safety of schools in Nigeria’s North-East, occurred at about 9:00 a.m. when heavily armed gunmen stormed Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, firing indiscriminately before whisking away several students. Women selling food within the school premises were also reportedly abducted during the raid.

The attack disrupted the ongoing NECO examination, forcing students and teachers to flee for safety as the community descended into panic.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, said security operatives responded swiftly after receiving distress calls and engaged the attackers, preventing what could have resulted in an even larger abduction.

According to Daso, although the exact number of abducted students has yet to be confirmed, the Commissioner of Police immediately deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba alongside additional security personnel to coordinate rescue efforts.

He disclosed that police officers, soldiers and other security agencies are currently combing nearby forests and surrounding communities in search of the abducted victims.

“Around 9 a.m. in the morning, ISWAP attacked Lassa Day Secondary School. They shot sporadically. An unspecified number of students have been abducted. Security forces confronted them. The Commissioner of Police has deployed the Area Commander, and security operatives are currently combing the bush,” Daso said.

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• A resident of Lassa and the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, Solomon Kwamagar, also confirmed the attack.

Kwamagar explained that the assailants entered Lassa through the weekly market on motorcycles before heading directly to the secondary school where students were writing their examinations.

He said one teacher was killed during the attack while several students were taken away.

“Today is Lassa market day. I was informed that they came through the market on motorcycles and went to Government Day Secondary School, Lassa. They shot and killed one teacher and took away all the students who were in their classrooms,” he said.

Kwamagar noted that he was still making efforts to verify the total number of students and teachers abducted during the incident.

The President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, alleged that the attackers disguised themselves in military and forest guard uniforms, allowing them to move through security checkpoints before launching the assault.

According to him, another teacher sustained gunshot injuries, while several students and women selling food within the school premises were also kidnapped.

He added that authorities were still compiling the number of victims.

Meanwhile, some residents claimed the casualty figure could be higher than officially reported, alleging that two teachers and one female student were killed during the attack. They also claimed the student died after being shot in the mouth.

However, security authorities have not confirmed those additional casualty claims.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Chairman of Askira/Uba Local Government Area, Mada Saidu, were unsuccessful as he declined to speak, saying officials were responding to the emergency.

Similarly, the Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, neither answered telephone calls nor responded to text messages seeking official reaction.

The latest attack comes only weeks after another mass abduction of schoolchildren in the same Askira/Uba Local Government Area, underscoring the persistent security challenges facing communities across Borno State despite ongoing military operations against insurgent groups.

Security experts say repeated attacks on educational institutions continue to threaten access to education in conflict-affected communities, with students increasingly becoming targets during school activities and public examinations.

As of the time of filing this report, security operatives were continuing intensive search operations across surrounding forests, while authorities appealed to residents to remain calm and provide credible information that could assist in rescuing the abducted students and apprehending those responsible.

The incident has once again renewed national concerns about the protection of schools and candidates participating in public examinations, particularly in Nigeria’s insurgency-affected North-East region.

UPDATED: Police Launch Massive Search After Terrorists Abduct NECO Students in Borno

Harrowing 52-Day Ordeal: Kaduna Mother Recounts Daughter’s Rape by Bandits After Ransom Payment

A wave of outrage and grief has swept through Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State as a mother, Mrs. Comfort Ezekiel, bravely came forward to detail the appalling abuse she and her daughter suffered during 52 days in captivity. The trauma did not end with the payment of a ransom, as bandits subjected her daughter to sexual assault in her presence while escorting them out of the forest after collecting money from their family. Several other female captives were similarly molested during their time in the forest camp.

“They collected the ransom and told us we were free to go. We thought our suffering was over, but it was not. They raped my daughter before my eyes. It is a painful memory that will never leave me,” Mrs. Ezekiel said amid tears.

The ordeal began when armed bandits invaded their community in Kachia LGA, marching the victims deep into the forest where they remained for 52 days. Life in captivity was a daily struggle for survival, marked by severe hunger, fear, and uncertainty. The captives slept on the bare ground, survived on little food and water, trekked for hours through the forest, and lived every day with the fear of being killed at any moment.

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The emotional trauma of witnessing the abuse of her daughter remains the most painful aspect of the ordeal for Mrs. Ezekiel. She insisted that no mother should witness what she saw, and that even though they have returned home, they are not the same people who were taken away. The pain, she said, remains in their hearts.

Mrs. Ezekiel disclosed that her daughter has yet to recover physically or emotionally from the trauma and continues to experience health complications following the incident. She appealed to the federal and Kaduna State governments, security agencies, and humanitarian organisations to provide medical, psychological, and social support for victims of kidnapping, noting that many survivors return home with deep emotional and physical scars.

The incident underscores the deteriorating security situation in Southern Kaduna, which has been plagued by a series of violent attacks and abductions. Residents of the affected communities have expressed deep concern and are urging security agencies to intensify operations against bandit groups terrorising communities in the area.

Harrowing 52-Day Ordeal: Kaduna Mother Recounts Daughter’s Rape by Bandits After Ransom Payment

Police Arrest 10 Suspects Over Killing of Benue Miyetti Allah Chairman

The Benue State Police Command has arrested 10 suspects in connection with the killing of the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his associate, Yakubu Isa. The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation in Otukpo Local Government Area on the night of June 27, 2026, less than 24 hours after the victims were ambushed and killed.

The Benue State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the killing of the state Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his associate, Yakubu Isa. The suspects were apprehended on the night of June 27, 2026, during a coordinated operation by the Command’s tactical teams in Otukpo Local Government Area, following what police described as intensive intelligence gathering and tactical operations. Confirming the arrests in a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Udeme Edet, said the arrests marked significant progress in the investigation into the attack. The suspects arrested were 25-year-old Titus Thyodenda, 20-year-old Utibe Sam, 18-year-old Owoicho Ameh, 21-year-old Sunday Useni, 46-year-old Sunday Ogbanje, 23-year-old Daniel Raphael, 24-year-old Adokole John, 32-year-old Samuel Ogazi, 25-year-old Agbo Daniel, and 30-year-old Onazi James.

The MACBAN chairman and Yakubu Isa were reportedly ambushed and killed at Okudu community in Otukpo LGA on Friday by armed men, while returning from a peace meeting called by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Idekpa, Ohimini LGA. The peace meeting had involved community leaders and Fulani herders as part of efforts to ease tensions in the area. Reports indicate that after the meeting, Mohammed and Isa were travelling back when gunmen ambushed their vehicle along the Okwudu-Okpachenyi rural road and opened fire, killing both men on the spot. The incident has raised serious concerns among residents, especially in communities that have experienced repeated security challenges in recent months.

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Commending the officers involved in the operation, the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, praised the tactical teams and investigators for their swift response and professionalism. The CP said, “The Command has made significant progress in the ongoing investigation. Ten suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the incident following intensive intelligence and tactical operations.” He assured the public that investigations were ongoing and that efforts had been intensified to identify and apprehend other persons linked to the crime. According to him, “The Command remains committed to ensuring that all those found culpable are brought to justice in accordance with the law.”

The Benue State Government has appealed to members of MACBAN not to resort to reprisal attacks. The Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Internal Security, Joseph Har, who addressed newsmen in Makurdi on Sunday, condemned the killing and described the deceased as an advocate of peace. Har stated that the incident was “not a Benue or Idoma agenda” but a criminal act, and called on security agents to promptly arrest the perpetrators. Chairmen from the Benue South senatorial district also condemned the murder, absolving the Idoma people of responsibility and describing it as the work of bandits. They appealed against any reprisal, noting that “any reprisal will be on innocent people.”

The Commissioner also appealed to residents of the state to remain calm and continue supporting security agencies with credible information that could aid the investigation. Reaffirming the Command’s commitment to maintaining law and order, the CP stressed that the Benue State Police Command remained resolute in protecting lives and property while sustaining peace and security across the state.

Police Arrest 10 Suspects Over Killing of Benue Miyetti Allah Chairman