An unspecified number of pupils and students of Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State are feared abducted after suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists invaded the school premises early Friday morning.
Mussa village, a remote community bordering the Sambisa Forest, is known to be vulnerable to insurgent attacks due to its proximity to terrorist hideouts.
Sources said the attackers stormed the school on motorcycles barely 10 to 15 minutes after troops stationed in the area had departed on patrol.
In a social media post, a resident identified as Solomon Mussa appealed for prayers, writing: “Good morning, beloved. Please pray for the Mussa Boko Haram attack in Mussa village now. According to a report coming out from Mussa, school children were affected…”
The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Askira, who hails from Askira-Uba Local Government Area, confirmed the incident on Friday, although he noted that details were still unclear at the time of filing the report.
“Yes, I can confirm to you that some suspected terrorists riding on motorcycles invaded primary and junior secondary schools in Mussa village this morning,” he said.
“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 assured that more information would be provided as the situation develops.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Police Public Relations Officer in Borno State, ASP Kenneth Daso, were unsuccessful as of press time.
