Borno school raid: Authorities free seven abducted students

A daring rescue operation by security forces, comprising the Army, Police, and local Civilian Joint Task Force, has resulted in the liberation of seven students who were abducted while taking their National Examinations Council exams at Lassa Day Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State on Monday.

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The terrorists had launched a brazen attack on the school, utilizing motorcycles and firing indiscriminately before making off with students and vendors within the school premises, as earlier reported by PUNCH Online.

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Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, has confirmed the rescue effort, revealing that efforts are currently underway to free the remaining captives, with an ongoing assessment to determine the gender of the rescued students.

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According to Commissioner Tar, "For now, seven of them have been rescued, but we cannot confirm their gender yet, as assessment is still ongoing," and the total number of missing students has yet to be ascertained.

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In an effort to reassure the community, the commissioner stated that a delegation has been dispatched to the area to evaluate the situation and restore confidence among residents, saying "We have sent a delegation to the community to assess the situation and build confidence in the minds of the residents,".

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Earlier, Nahum Daso, spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, had reported that security personnel engaged the attackers, thwarting a larger-scale abduction, stating "Around 9 a.m., ISWAP attacked Lassa Day Secondary School, they shot sporadically, and an unspecified number of students have been abducted,".

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The incident represents the latest in a string of assaults on educational institutions in the North-East region.