AN UNSPECIFIED number of pupils are feared abducted after armed Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters stormed Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State in the early hours of Friday.
The attack reportedly occurred in Mussa, a remote settlement close to the Sambisa Forest, known to serve as a hideout for insurgents.
According to local accounts, the armed men arrived at the school on motorcycles shortly after soldiers who had been patrolling the area left the community. The timing of the attack has raised concern among residents, who believe the attackers might have been monitoring troop movements before striking.
Daily Trust reported a resident confirming the attack and abduction. “Yes, the attacked happened early hours of today (Friday) and it was discovered that many children were abducted,” the resident said.
The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Askira, who represents the area, also confirmed that the school was invaded by suspected terrorists, although he noted that full details were still unclear at the time he spoke with the newspapers.
“Yes, I can confirm to you that some suspected terrorists riding on motorcycles invaded primary and junior secondary schools in Mussa village this morning. Information at my disposal was that many of the students fled into the bush, but I don’t have details of those abducted yet.
“It is also disheartening that the incident took place barely some few minutes after troops on patrol left the community; this signifies that the insurgents or the attackers were spying on the movement of troops before they struck,” he said.
He added that more information would be released as authorities continue to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, attempts to get a reaction from the state Police Public Relations Officer, Keneth Daso, an assistant superintendent of police, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls to his phone line as of the time of filing this report.
