AN UNSPECIFIED number of students were reportedly abducted by suspected Boko Haram insurgents at Mussa-Biri Primary and Junior Day Secondary Schools in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, while a separate school attack in Oyo State also left a principal and several students kidnapped by gunmen.
News Point Nigeria gathered that the Borno incident occurred in the early hours of Friday while students were in class receiving lessons, according to local sources who spoke on the development.
An eyewitness claimed that the terrorists invaded the community shortly after military personnel on routine patrol had left the area.
According to the source, the insurgents arrived in large numbers on motorcycles before attacking the schools.
“The terrorists arrived on motorcycles and abducted an unspecified number of students in the Primary as well as the Junior Secondary School located in the Mussa-Biri community,” the local source said.
However, another source later confirmed to News Point Nigeria at about 1:51 p.m. on Friday that most of the abducted students and one of their teachers had been released, while four students were still unaccounted for.
When contacted, the spokesman of the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, said communication challenges had made it difficult to reach the divisional police officer in charge of Askira-Uba.
“The network is very poor, and I could not reach the divisional police officer in charge of Askira-Uba,” he said.
Mussa community, located at the fringes of the Sambisa Forest, has witnessed repeated attacks and abductions in recent times, particularly involving farmers operating around the area.
Meanwhile, in Oyo State, gunmen also attacked a school in Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting a principal and some students.
Local sources said the incident occurred between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Friday at Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele.
Residents disclosed that the attackers stormed the school premises, abducted an unspecified number of students and whisked away the school principal, identified as Rachael Alamu.
Sources further revealed that one of the teachers was shot during the attack, although the extent of the injury had yet to be confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
The gunmen reportedly fled into a forest reserve bordering the community after carrying out the abduction.
Police authorities in Oyo State are yet to confirm the exact number of students kidnapped during the attack.