Many Pupils Feared Abducted After Terrorists Invade Borno School

Many Pupils Feared Abducted After Terrorists Invade Borno School

Fresh fear has gripped residents of Mussa village in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State after suspected Boko Haram insurgents reportedly attacked a primary and junior secondary school, with several pupils feared abducted during the early morning raid.

The attackers, said to have arrived in large numbers on motorcycles, stormed the community shortly after security personnel on patrol reportedly left the area, triggering panic among residents, students and teachers.

Local sources disclosed that the insurgents invaded Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School during the assault, forcing many students to flee into nearby bushes while others were allegedly taken away by the gunmen.

Although the exact number of abducted pupils has not been officially confirmed, residents claimed several children were missing after the attack.

“Yes, the attack happened in the early hours of Friday and it was discovered that many children were abducted,” a resident told journalists.

The latest incident has heightened anxiety across the community, with parents and local vigilante groups searching surrounding bushes and nearby communities for fleeing students.

Confirming the attack, the Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Askira, said reports available to him indicated that many students escaped into the bush during the invasion, though details surrounding possible abductions remained unclear.

“Yes, I can confirm that some suspected terrorists riding on motorcycles invaded the primary and junior secondary schools in Mussa village this morning,” he said.

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“Information at my disposal was that many of the students fled into the bush, but I don’t have details of those abducted yet.”

Askira described the incident as disturbing, noting that the insurgents struck barely minutes after troops conducting patrol operations departed the area.

According to him, the timing of the attack suggested that the terrorists may have monitored the movement of security operatives before launching the assault.

“It is disheartening that the incident happened shortly after troops left the community. This signifies that the attackers were likely spying on the movement of soldiers before they struck,” he added.

Mussa village is located near the fringes of the Sambisa Forest, a region long associated with activities of Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents despite ongoing military offensives by security forces.

Following the attack, fear spread across social media as residents and concerned Nigerians called for prayers and urgent intervention to rescue the missing children.

One social media user, Solomon Mussa, appealed for support online, writing: “Please pray for the Mussa Boko Haram attack in Mussa village now. According to reports, school children were affected.”

Attempts by journalists to get an official reaction from the spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, were unsuccessful as calls and text messages sent to him were not answered as of the time of filing this report.

The latest school attack has renewed concerns over worsening insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria, especially repeated attacks targeting schools and vulnerable rural communities.

Over the years, Boko Haram insurgents have carried out multiple kidnappings and attacks on educational institutions across the North-East, forcing school closures and disrupting learning activities in many communities.

Security experts and residents are now calling on the Federal Government and military authorities to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve rural security patrols and provide better protection for schools in conflict-prone areas.

Many Pupils Feared Abducted After Terrorists Invade Borno School