Militants storm school in Lassa, Borno State, during biology exam

Armed fighters from Boko Haram launched a violent raid on a public secondary school in Lassa, Borno State, during a biology examination session, resulting in the abduction of numerous students. The attack occurred early in the morning, catching both pupils and staff off guard as they prepared for the scheduled test.

The assailants stormed the school premises, exploiting the chaotic atmosphere created by the nearby weekly market to blend in and carry out their operation undetected. The suddenness of the assault left little room for resistance, and several students were forcibly taken by the armed men.

Local authorities confirm casualties and ongoing security operation

Nahum Kenneth Daso, spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, verified the attack and provided details on the assailants’ method of infiltration. He noted that the militants arrived on motorcycles, leveraging the bustling market activity to infiltrate the area before striking the school.

Authorities have since confirmed that one teacher was killed in the crossfire, while multiple students were abducted. In response, the Nigerian military initiated a large-scale pursuit operation, codenamed Operation Hadin Kai, to track down the perpetrators and secure the release of the hostages.

Mohammed Musa Goni, deputy commander of Operation Hadin Kai, reported that a soldier was killed in a subsequent clash with the militants near the village of Daggu. However, the operation yielded positive results as ten students were successfully rescued. Goni assured that the freed students were in stable condition and receiving both medical care and psychological support.

Boko Haram’s decade-long insurgency fuels regional instability

Since emerging in the early 2000s, Boko Haram has waged a brutal insurgency across Nigeria’s northeast, claiming tens of thousands of lives since 2009. The group’s violent campaigns have spilled beyond Nigeria’s borders, extending into neighboring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, where clashes in the Lake Chad Basin have resulted in over 2,000 fatalities. The ongoing conflict has also displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians, leaving communities devastated and vulnerable.