Suspected Islamist Militants Attack Nigerian School; Dozens Of Students Missing

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

ABUJA (Worthy News) – Dozens of students remained missing Friday after suspected Islamist militants attacked a school in Nigeria’s insurgency-ravaged northeastern state of Borno, officials and residents said.

Gunmen reportedly stormed Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area at around 9 a.m. local time while classes were in session.

Witnesses said the attackers arrived on motorcycles and spread panic among pupils and teachers.

Authorities were still trying to determine how many children were abducted.

“Several students cannot be accounted for after the attack,” said Nahum Daso, spokesperson for Borno State police. He added that many pupils fled into nearby bushes “during the pandemonium,” making it difficult to confirm abductions immediately.

BOKO HARAM STRONGHOLD

Residents, however, said dozens of children may have been taken away.

“One of my relatives, under the age of 10, was among the pupils taken to an unknown destination,” a resident told reporters on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

The attack occurred near the Sambisa Forest, a longtime stronghold of the Islamist militant groups Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

No group immediately claimed responsibility, but the attack bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, which seeks to overthrow Nigeria’s government and establish an Islamic state based on a strict interpretation of sharia law.

Police said the raid was believed to have been carried out by militants linked to Boko Haram or ISWAP.

MASS KIDNAPPINGS CONTINUE

It was not immediately clear whether the school was affiliated with a Christian denomination. However, Askira-Uba and surrounding parts of southern Borno State include sizable Christian communities that have repeatedly suffered attacks by Islamist militants in recent years.

The assault revived memories of the 2014 kidnapping of 276 mainly Christian schoolgirls from Chibok in neighboring Borno State by Boko Haram militants, an incident that sparked the global “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign.

Mass abductions of students remain a recurring problem in Nigeria, where authorities are battling Islamist insurgents, armed gangs, and criminal kidnapping networks across several regions.

Analysts say schools are often targeted because kidnappings generate international attention and can lead to ransom payments.

Last year alone, more than 300 children were abducted in separate school attacks in northern Nigeria.

Security forces said search operations and headcounts were continuing Friday night as worried parents waited for news about missing children.

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