Suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants attacked a secondary school in the town of Askira‑Uba, Borno state, on Friday morning, leaving an unspecified number of students missing, Borno police spokesperson Nahum Daso told The Associated Press.
Daso said it is unclear whether any of the missing students were abducted, as many fled for safety during the pandemonium. “We are still carrying out a headcount to determine if there was an abduction,” he said.
Residents, however, reported that dozens of children were taken. A resident who spoke to the AP anonymously for fear of reprisal said: “Two of my nieces, both under the age of 10, were among the pupils taken away to an unknown destination.”
The attack took place in an area bordering the Sambisa Forest, a longtime base for Boko Haram and its offshoot ISWAP. School abductions have become a frequent tactic in Nigeria, where armed groups target educational institutions to extract high ransoms and pressure the government. Last year, more than 300 children were seized in two mass kidnappings across the conflict‑battered northern region.