An unspecified number of students of Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Mussa village, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, are feared to have been abducted after suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists invaded the school premises in the early hours of Friday.
Mussa, a remote community bordering the notorious Sambisa Forest, has long been vulnerable to insurgent attacks due to its proximity to the terrorists’ hideout.
Sources within the community said the attackers, riding on motorcycles, stormed the school barely 10 to 15 minutes after security troops had left the area following a routine patrol.
A resident, Mr. Solomon Mussa, raised the alarm in a social media post, calling for prayers over the attack.
“Good morning, beloved. Please pray for the Mussa Boko Haram attack in Mussa village now. According to reports coming out from Mussa, school children were affected,” he wrote.
Confirming the incident, the Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Askira, said suspected terrorists invaded the schools in the community, though details of casualties or abductions remained sketchy as of press time.
“Yes, I can confirm that some suspected terrorists riding on motorcycles invaded the primary and junior secondary schools in Mussa village this morning,” he said.
“Information available to me indicates that many of the students fled into the bush, but I do not yet have full details of those abducted.
“It is disheartening that the incident occurred just minutes after troops on patrol left the community. This suggests the attackers may have been monitoring the movement of security personnel before striking.”
He assured residents that more details would be provided as the situation unfolded.
Efforts to get official confirmation from the police through the spokesperson, ASP Kenneth Daso, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
