Dozens of students were taken during a raid by Boko Haram insurgents on a secondary school in Lassa, Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, according to local authorities.
The assault began early in the morning at a public high school while a biology exam was underway. Gunmen stormed the school premises and forcibly seized a large number of students.
Borno State police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso confirmed the incident. He stated that the attackers arrived on motorcycles, taking advantage of the weekly market crowds in Lassa to slip into the area undetected.
Officials reported that one teacher was killed during the attack, and several students were taken away by the armed group.
Following the abduction, Nigerian security forces launched a pursuit operation. Deputy Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Mohammed Musa Goni, indicated that one soldier died in a clash with the assailants near the town of Daggu.
He also announced that ten students had been freed during the operation. According to him, they are in stable condition and receiving medical and psychological support. Efforts continue to locate the remaining hostages and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
Active in northeastern Nigeria since the early 2000s, Boko Haram has waged an armed insurgency that has killed tens of thousands since 2009. The group has also extended attacks into Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, where violence in the Lake Chad basin has resulted in at least 2,000 deaths. The conflict has further displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians.
