Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Monday attacked the Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, killing a teacher and abducting an unspecified number of students who were writing the National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination.
The assailants reportedly stormed the community while the examination was in progress, opening fire and throwing residents into panic. One teacher was killed during the attack, while another sustained gunshot injuries.
Residents said the gunmen took away several students and some teachers before fleeing the area. The exact number of those abducted had yet to be determined as of the time of filing this report.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that military personnel stationed in the community had left for a patrol in nearby Uba, about 16 kilometres away, shortly before the attackers struck.
"The soldiers were not around when the terrorists invaded. They came in large numbers, shooting indiscriminately and causing panic. They abducted students writing the NECO examination along with some teachers," the resident said.
The attack disrupted the ongoing examination and forced residents to flee for safety as the gunmen operated freely in the community.
The spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, confirmed the incident, saying security agencies had been notified and that several students remained unaccounted for following the raid.
Efforts to rescue the abducted victims were said to be ongoing, while authorities were yet to disclose the exact number of those kidnapped or provide further details on the operation.
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