36 students, 3 teachers missing after gunmen raided a school in northeastern Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria —
Thirty-six students have been reported missing following a recent attack on a school in northeastern Nigeria, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The incident occurred at the Lassa Day Secondary School in the Askira-Uba area of Borno state on Monday, resulting in the tragic death of a teacher.
During the attack, twenty-five girls, eleven boys, and three teachers were abducted, according to Dauda Iliya, the spokesman for the governor of Borno. A high-level delegation has been dispatched by Governor Babagana Zulum to the community to address the situation.
Borno’s education commissioner, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, expressed sorrow over the incident and assured that efforts are underway, in collaboration with security agencies and community leaders, to secure the safe return of the missing students and staff.
The abducted students, aged between 15 and 18, were in the midst of their secondary school leaving examinations when the attack took place. Although no group has claimed responsibility yet, the region has been plagued by violence from various armed groups, resulting in casualties and displacements.
Boko Haram and ISWAP, a faction affiliated with the Islamic State group, are active militant groups in northeast Nigeria and the surrounding Lake Chad area.
Earlier in the month, the Nigerian army successfully rescued over 300 individuals abducted by Boko Haram in Ngoshe, a town near the location of the recent abduction.
In May, Nigeria and the United States jointly conducted an operation that resulted in the elimination of 175 ISWAP fighters.
