Troops of Operation HADIN KAI, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Mobile Force, have foiled an attempted mass abduction by ISWAP terrorists at the Federal Government Girls College, FGGC, Monguno, Borno State.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, on Saturday, July 19, 2026.
According to the statement, the attack occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on July 19. The FGGC facility is currently being used by the Borno State Government as temporary hostel accommodation for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno.
The military said the terrorists gained access to the facility with the assistance of suspected collaborators with the intent to abduct students. Alert security personnel engaged them with coordinated firepower, while the Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force immediately reinforced the school.
“Confronted by the superior combat capability and determined resistance of the security forces, the terrorists were forced to abandon their criminal mission and flee in confusion without achieving their objective,” the statement said.
During the encounter, parts of the school infrastructure sustained damage.
Following the operation, troops rescued and evacuated all 46 students to Kinnasara Barracks, Monguno, where they received immediate medical assessment. All the rescued students were confirmed medically stable. The military, however, said some students were fatally struck by sporadic gunfire from the terrorists during the firefight, and no student was abducted.
Operation HADIN KAI said it extends condolences to the families of the deceased and reassured the public that measures are being taken to safeguard residents and protect critical public institutions across the North East in liaison with the Borno State Government.
The Command added that exploitation of the incident is ongoing to identify and apprehend suspected collaborators, while troops and other security agencies are tracking the fleeing terrorists.
It further reaffirmed its commitment to “sustaining relentless pressure on terrorist elements, denying them freedom of action, dismantling their operational capability, and ensuring that educational institutions and other critical infrastructure across the North East remain safe and secure.”