The Borno State Government has confirmed receiving a proof-of-life video showing some of the students abducted from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, offering the first visual indication that the victims are still alive.
The disclosure was made on Saturday during the Borno State Education Summit held in Maiduguri, where the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abba Wakilbe, played the 15-second clip before participants.
The summit, themed “Strengthening Safe, Inclusive and Gender-Responsive Education: Building Back Better,” was organised in collaboration with the Malala Fund and focused on improving access to education while addressing security challenges affecting schools across the state.
Speaking during the summit, Wakilbe assured participants that the state government was working relentlessly to secure the safe release of the students, who were abducted during an attack on June 29, 2026.
He described the recent kidnappings as a disturbing resurgence of mass school abductions in Borno, noting that such incidents had largely disappeared following the infamous Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.
“Since the Chibok abduction, we have not had such an issue. Not until recently did we have the issue in Mussa and subsequently in Lassa,” the commissioner said.
36 Lassa Students Still Being Held
Providing an update on the victims, Wakilbe disclosed that 36 students from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, remain in captivity.
According to him, the abducted students comprise 25 girls and 11 boys, all of whom are still being held by their captors.
“From the Lassa abduction, we have 36 in captivity. Out of the 36, there are 25 girls and 11 boys,” he stated.
The commissioner also revealed that authorities have yet to receive any credible information regarding students abducted from Mussa Community, raising fresh concerns over their whereabouts.
He warned that persistent attacks on educational institutions threaten years of investment and progress made in rebuilding Borno’s education sector after more than a decade of insurgency.
“If this does not stop, progress will not happen, and a lot of what we have achieved will be reversed,” Wakilbe cautioned.
He appealed to local communities, development partners and other stakeholders to continue supporting government efforts aimed at improving school safety and ensuring children can learn without fear.
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According to reports, officials at the summit declined requests to publicly release the proof-of-life footage.
However, journalists who viewed the video reported that it showed the abducted students seated on the ground, with several of them still dressed in the uniform of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa.
The footage reportedly also showed two armed terrorists standing behind the students while holding a flag bearing Arabic inscriptions.
The video is believed to be the first proof that the abducted students remain alive since the attack.
The latest development comes amid growing concern over school security in the North-East.
Reports indicate that 78 students are currently being held captive following separate abductions in different parts of Borno State, underscoring the continuing security challenges confronting the region despite years of counter-insurgency operations.
The state government has reiterated its commitment to working with security agencies and relevant stakeholders to secure the release of all abducted students and strengthen measures to safeguard schools across the state.