Borno State, Nigeria (Running Africa) — At least 37 students and one school staff member remain missing after suspected fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked a secondary school in northeastern Nigeria while students were sitting for examinations.
The armed attackers stormed the school in Lassa, Borno State, on Monday, abducting dozens of students and triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation by Nigerian security forces.
The assault left at least three people dead, including a soldier and a teacher, according to local authorities.
Initial military reports indicated that most of the abducted students had been rescued. However, Borno State officials later clarified that 38 people remain unaccounted for, underscoring the scale of the attack and the challenges facing ongoing rescue efforts.
Borno State Commissioner for Education Lawan Abba Wakilbe said those still missing include 25 female students, 11 male students and one school staff member.
Authorities have so far secured the release of eight people, including the school’s vice principal, while security agencies continue operations to locate and rescue the remaining captives.
The latest school attack highlights the continuing insurgency in northeastern Nigeria, where ISWAP and Boko Haram have carried out years of deadly attacks targeting civilians, schools and security forces.
The abductions have also revived memories of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping, when more than 270 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram, drawing global attention to Nigeria’s security crisis. More than a decade later, attacks on educational institutions remain one of the country’s most persistent security challenges, raising fresh concerns about the safety of students and the protection of schools in conflict-affected regions.
