Borno official releases brief footage of abducted pupils during conference

The Borno State Government has verified the authenticity of a proof-of-life video featuring pupils abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School Lassa, located in the Askira/Uba Local Government Area.

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This confirmation was made on Saturday during the Borno State Education Summit held in Maiduguri, where Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abba Wakilbe, showcased the 15-second video as part of a slide presentation.

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The summit, which was themed "Strengthening Safe, Inclusive and Gender-Responsive Education: Building Back Better," was organized in collaboration with the Malala Fund.

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According to Wakilbe, the government is still actively working to secure the release of the students, who were abducted on June 29.

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Wakilbe noted that the state had not experienced such an issue since the Chibok abduction, until recently, when incidents occurred in Mussa and subsequently in Lassa.

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He stated that out of the 36 students being held captive from the Lassa abduction, 25 are girls and 11 are boys.

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The commissioner, however, mentioned that there is still no information available regarding the students abducted from Mussa Community.

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Wakilbe described attacks on schools as a significant threat to education in the state, warning that if these attacks do not cease, progress will be hindered and previous achievements will be reversed.

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He appealed to residents and development partners to continue providing support to the state in protecting schools and advancing education.

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When approached for comment, officials in charge of the presentation declined to release the video, but the footage depicted the abducted students seated on the ground, with some wearing the uniform of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa.

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The video also showed two armed terrorists standing behind the students, holding a flag with Arabic inscriptions.

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It was previously reported that 78 students remained in captivity following separate abductions in Borno State.