BREAKING: Full list of 36 Borno NECO candidates still held by terrorists

Authorities of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, have released the identities of 36 students still in captivity following Monday’s terrorist attack on the school.

Documents obtained from the school indicate that the missing students comprise 25 female and 11 male candidates who were sitting for the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination when the attackers struck.

The disclosure provides the first detailed account of those still unaccounted for after the incident, which has once again highlighted the vulnerability of schools in Nigeria’s insurgency-affected North-East region.

According to available records, a total of 43 persons—41 students and two teachers—were initially abducted during the attack. However, seven victims, including five female students and two teachers, have since been rescued, leaving 36 students still in captivity.

A teacher who was among those rescued confirmed the figures, noting that efforts to locate and rescue the remaining students are ongoing.

Earlier reports indicated that troops of Operation HADIN KAI, supported by Nigerian Air Force surveillance and strike aircraft, pursued the fleeing attackers into nearby bush areas, engaged them in a firefight, and successfully rescued some of the victims. Security sources also confirmed that motorcycles used by the insurgents were recovered during the operation.

A staff member of the school, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the attack as devastating, revealing that one teacher, a Nigerian soldier, and a local hunter lost their lives during the confrontation.

“They paid the supreme sacrifice while trying to prevent the terrorists from taking the students away,” the source said.

The attack occurred while students were writing their NECO examinations. The insurgents reportedly infiltrated Lassa community on motorcycles, disguising themselves as soldiers and operatives of the newly established Forest Guards on the town’s market day before launching the assault.

Security officials said the gunmen fired sporadically, killing a teacher before abducting students and fleeing into nearby forests.

The Borno State Government has confirmed that the abducted students are between the ages of 15 and 18. Efforts involving the military, police, Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), and local vigilantes are ongoing to secure their release.

The incident has reignited concerns over the continued targeting of schools by Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, ISWAP, despite repeated assurances by authorities on the safety of educational institutions in the region.