The attackers reportedly invaded the school at about 9 a.m. on Monday, firing gunshots indiscriminately before whisking away several students and women selling food within the school premises.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, said security personnel quickly responded to the attack and engaged the terrorists, preventing what could have been a larger abduction.
“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. For now, we have an unspecified number of students who were abducted. The CP deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba. They are currently combing the bush,” Daso said.
He said security operatives have since been deployed across the area and are carrying out search operations in nearby bushes to rescue the victims and track down the attackers.
Also confirming the attack, the Special Adviser to Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, on Media and Strategy, Mr Solomon Kwamagar, who hails from Lassa, said the terrorists rode into the community on motorcycles before heading to the school.
“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 added, “Lassa in Borno State is predominantly inhabited by my people, the Margi. We are in both Adamawa and Borno states. I am from Lassa, but I chose to reside in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State.”
He further said, “I’m still making contacts to ascertain the total number of students and teachers who were kidnapped from the school.”
The President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, also confirmed the attack, alleging that the terrorists disguised themselves in military and forest guard uniforms to gain access to the area.
“Yes. There was an attack on students writing NECO exams. The terrorists came around past nine. They passed the military checkpoint. They wore military and forest guard attire. They shot sporadically,” he said.
Kaigama added that one teacher was killed while another sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.
“They killed one teacher from Chibok. They shot another, but not dead yet. They also kidnapped some students and women selling on the school premises. The numbers are not yet out,” he said.
When contacted for comments, the Chairman of Askira/Uba Local Government Area, Mada Saidu, declined to speak on the incident.
“I am very busy now. We are in a situation,” he said.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to him were not answered.
Meanwhile, some residents told journalists that the casualty figure might be higher than initially reported, claiming that two teachers and one female student lost their lives during the attack.
“They killed two teachers and one female student. The student was shot in her mouth,” a resident who requested anonymity said.
The latest attack comes weeks after suspected Boko Haram terrorists abducted 42 pupils and students during an assault on Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in the same Askira/Uba Local Government Area.