THERE was palpable tension in Lassa community, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, on Tuesday as parents confirmed that at least 36 students remain missing following Monday’s deadly attack on Government Day Secondary School, while angry youths confronted a government delegation sent to sympathise with affected families.
News Point Nigeria reports that the attack, allegedly carried out by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists during the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examination, reportedly claimed the lives of two teachers and led to the abduction of an unspecified number of students, triggering widespread outrage, grief and fear across the community.
In response to the incident, the Borno State Government dispatched a high-powered delegation led by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, to Lassa on Tuesday to assess the situation and convey Governor Babagana Umara Zulum’s sympathy to affected families.
However, the visit quickly descended into chaos as youths and relatives of the abducted students rejected attempts by the delegation to address them, insisting that government officials should focus on rescuing the missing children rather than making speeches.
“We don’t want any talk, just go and bring back our children,” the angry youths repeatedly chanted as tension escalated.
Efforts by the commissioner and members of his team to calm the crowd and deliver a formal address proved unsuccessful, forcing the delegation to retreat as the situation became increasingly tense.
The government officials were later escorted out of the community by protesting youths carrying placards, while some demonstrators also chanted, “Don’t play politics with our children,” reflecting the growing frustration over the abduction.
Meanwhile, parents have begun compiling the names of missing students at the request of authorities, with several families confirming that at least 36 children remain unaccounted for following the attack.
One parent said his teenage daughter remains missing after the incident.
According to him, parents whose children could not be located were asked to register with the authorities, adding that dozens of names had already been documented.
Another distressed parent said the entire community had been thrown into panic since the attack.
He explained that his teenage daughter was in class when the terrorists invaded the school and lamented that the family had not slept since the incident occurred.
The parent added that families initially received conflicting reports suggesting that some of the children had been rescued, only to later discover that many students were still missing.
Another resident also confirmed that two of his relatives were among those abducted during the attack.
Earlier reports indicated that troops of Operation Hadin Kai, supported by air surveillance, rescued 10 victims, including students and teachers, during a coordinated search-and-rescue operation.
The military also disclosed that two security personnel lost their lives during the rescue operation.
The Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, confirmed that security agencies were continuing efforts to rescue the remaining abductees, although the exact number of those still in captivity had yet to be fully established at the time.
The incident has heightened anxiety across Lassa community as families continue to await information about the fate of their children.
Following the attack, the Borno State Government ordered the temporary closure of schools in three communities—Lassa, Dille and Chul—as part of precautionary security measures.
The spokesman to Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, Dauda Iliya, announced the decision in a statement issued on Tuesday.
According to Iliya, the decision followed a stakeholders’ meeting held during the visit of the government delegation to Lassa.
He disclosed that reports presented during the meeting confirmed that 36 students were still missing.
The statement said Governor Zulum dispatched the delegation, led by Commissioner Wakilbe, to Lassa following Monday’s insurgent attack on Government Day Secondary School.
Other members of the delegation included the Commissioner for Intergovernmental Affairs, Hon. Samaila Satumari; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Dr Juliana Bitrus; the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Projects, Emmanuel Yerima; a representative of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Suleiman Bello Maina; and other senior government officials.
Upon arrival in Lassa, the delegation met with parents of the affected students, many of whom expressed deep concern over the safety and whereabouts of their children.
Addressing the parents, Wakilbe conveyed Governor Zulum’s sympathy and assured them that the state government was working closely with security agencies, community leaders and other stakeholders to secure the safe return of the missing students and staff.
The delegation later proceeded to Government Girls Secondary School, Lassa, where the commissioner convened an emergency stakeholders’ meeting attended by the Zonal Deputy Director for Uba Zone, the Education Secretary, principals from schools across Askira-Uba Local Government Area, the local government chairman, security representatives and other stakeholders.
Following extensive deliberations, participants resolved to temporarily close schools in Dille, Lassa and Chul communities as a precautionary measure.
However, students currently writing ongoing examinations will be relocated to Government Secondary School, Uba, to enable them to continue their academic activities without interruption.
During the meeting, the Chairman of Askira-Uba Local Government Area, Mada Saidu, formally presented the compiled report of victims to the delegation.
According to the report, 39 persons from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, were affected by the attack, comprising three teaching staff and 36 students.
The report further showed that the missing students include 25 females and 11 males drawn from Senior Secondary School One (SS1), Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) and Senior Secondary School Three (SS3).
The delegation commended the resilience and cooperation of residents and reaffirmed Governor Zulum’s commitment to strengthening security around schools, supporting affected families and ensuring the safe return of all abducted students.
Fear and grief continued to grip Lassa on Tuesday as families anxiously awaited updates on the fate of their loved ones.
Although troops, supported by local hunters, rescued nine students and one teacher after a fierce gun battle that claimed the lives of a soldier and a local hunter, many students and teachers remain in captivity.
One distraught parent said security personnel returned from the rescue mission carrying only the school bags and uniforms of some of the missing children.
He described the emotional scene that followed, saying mothers broke down in tears as they recognised the belongings of their children and repeatedly called out their names.
The parent also disclosed that he briefly reached his daughter’s telephone after the abduction.
According to him, she tearfully told him they had been abducted before a man took the phone and assured him that the captives would not be harmed.
He added that his wife had remained inconsolable since the attack and was eventually admitted to hospital.
Another parent described the ordeal as particularly painful because the abducted child was the family’s first son and breadwinner.
He said not knowing whether the children were alive or dead had become even more traumatic than receiving confirmation of their fate.
Despite the attack, residents insisted they would continue prioritising education.
One parent said Lassa had long been recognised for producing professors, doctors and other professionals, stressing that terrorists would not succeed in denying the community access to education.
The parents appealed to both the Federal Government and the Borno State Government to intensify efforts to rescue all those still in captivity.
One of the rescued students, whose identity was withheld, recounted that the terrorists claimed they were taking the students to care for younger children abducted earlier from Mussa Primary School.
She explained that the captives were divided into groups and transported on motorcycles into the bush.
According to her, the motorcycle carrying her group developed a fault just as security forces engaged the terrorists, forcing the abductors to abandon them and flee, thereby giving them an opportunity to escape.
She also claimed the attackers appeared unfamiliar with the terrain and relied on a guide to navigate through the bush.
Meanwhile, protesting youths again confronted Commissioner Wakilbe during his visit, preventing him from addressing parents.
The demonstrators accused the government of making repeated promises without delivering results, pointing out that pupils abducted from Mussa village about 49 days earlier had yet to be rescued.