Terrorists Abduct 42 Schoolchildren in Fresh Borno School Attack

At least 42 schoolchildren have been abducted after armed terrorists stormed a school in Mussa village, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, in what residents and officials described as a coordinated early-morning attack.

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South, confirmed the incident, saying “no fewer than 42 students, including children, have been abducted” after armed men invaded the Government Day Secondary School in the community.

Local accounts and preliminary reports indicate that the attackers struck during school hours, forcing panic as students attempted to flee.

A source familiar with the situation told reporters that the gunmen “stormed the school on motorcycles” shortly after military patrol teams had left the area, suggesting possible surveillance of troop movements.

Witnesses said the attackers moved quickly through the school premises, with some students escaping into nearby bushes while others were taken away.

“Many were taken away,” one teacher said, according to local reports.

Security sources and community leaders said the exact number of missing children is still being verified as headcounts continue across the affected schools and surrounding homes.

Authorities have also launched search and rescue operations in the area, which lies close to the Sambisa Forest, a known hideout for armed groups.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the incident bears similarities to previous school kidnappings carried out by insurgents in Nigeria’s northeast, where mass abductions have remained a recurring security challenge.

The latest incident has renewed fears among residents and raised fresh concerns about the safety of schools in remote parts of Borno State, despite ongoing military operations in the region.