No fewer than 37 children are still missing following a terrorist attack on Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
The attack occurred on Monday at about 9 a.m. while students were writing the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination. During the incident, two teachers were killed, and an unspecified number of students were abducted.
Parents who spoke with journalists on Tuesday disclosed that the state government had opened a register for families to report missing persons.
One of the parents, Mbula Bura, whose 19-year-old daughter was abducted, said at least 37 names had been documented as missing.
“Parents who could not find their children were invited to register. I discovered that 37 names have been recorded so far as missing,” he said.
“My 19-year-old daughter, Esther Mbula, is still missing. She is in SSS2.”
Another parent, Emmanuel Dari, whose 16-year-old daughter was also abducted, described the situation as deeply distressing for families.
“My daughter, Lucy Emmanuel, is in SSS2. She was in the classroom when the terrorists took them away. Since yesterday, we have not been able to sleep,” he said.
“When I heard about the attack, we were confused. I later felt relieved when I heard some victims had been rescued. However, when I got there, neither my daughter nor many other children could be found.”
He added that a delegation from the state government, led by the Commissioner for Education, Lawan Wakilbe, had visited the community to assess the situation.
A resident of the area, Bitrus Milnda, also confirmed that two of his relatives—Martha Wajau and Abori Ujulu, both in SSS1—were among those abducted.
Efforts to reach the state Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, for comments were unsuccessful as calls were neither answered nor returned.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army confirmed the rescue of 10 victims, including students and teachers, during a coordinated operation.
The Acting Military Information Officer of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Capt. Muhammed Goni, said troops, supported by air surveillance and strike platforms, engaged the attackers around the Daggu area, leading to the successful rescue of the victims.
According to him, the rescued individuals were unharmed and are currently receiving care, while efforts continue to secure the release of the remaining abducted persons and bring the perpetrators to justice.
He added that during the operation, troops overpowered the fleeing terrorists, inflicted casualties, and recovered seven motorcycles.
However, he noted that the operation recorded casualties on the side of security forces, as one soldier and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force lost their lives during the exchange of fire.