How troops saved us after Borno school attack – Rescued teacher

A teacher rescued after the terrorist attack on Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno state, has narrated how the swift intervention of Nigerian troops forced suspected ISWAP insurgents to abandon their captives and flee.

The teacher was among 10 victims rescued after gunmen invaded the school on Monday while students were writing the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination.

Recounting the ordeal, the survivor credited the military’s overwhelming firepower for their rescue.

“There were many soldiers, and they really helped us to escape because they came with gun trucks. Their firepower was what made us escape. They came with heavy firepower, and the terrorists began to run away. They could not even return the fire because the firepower from the soldiers and the team was very, very strong,” the teacher said.

Security sources said troops immediately launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation after receiving reports of the attack.

The operation involved ground troops backed by strike aircraft and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms of the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, enabling the military to track the fleeing insurgents.

Acting on real-time intelligence, troops intercepted the terrorists around the Daggu axis, where a fierce exchange of gunfire ensued.

Military pressure reportedly forced the insurgents to abandon some of the abducted victims, leading to the successful rescue of 10 students and teachers, all of whom were recovered unharmed.

Troops also recovered seven motorcycles believed to have been used by the attackers, a development expected to limit the group’s mobility during subsequent operations.

However, the military operation came at a cost, with one soldier and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) losing their lives during the gun battle.

Security authorities said troops have continued to dominate the area, monitor possible escape routes and intensify efforts to rescue those still in captivity while pursuing the fleeing terrorists.

Additional security personnel have since been deployed across Lassa and neighbouring communities to protect schools and other vulnerable locations from further attacks.