Fear and anxiety have gripped residents of Mussa community in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State following reports that suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists invaded a primary and junior secondary school in the area, with an unspecified number of students feared abducted.
The attack reportedly occurred in the early hours of Friday at Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, located in a remote community bordering the Sambisa Forest, a known enclave of insurgent groups.
Sources within the community said the armed attackers stormed the school premises on motorcycles shortly after security troops stationed in the area had departed following routine patrol operations.
According to eyewitness accounts, many students fled into nearby bushes during the invasion in an attempt to escape the attackers, while fears remain that several others may have been taken away.
Concern over the incident quickly spread across social media, with residents and community members calling for prayers and urgent intervention from security agencies.
One resident, Solomon Mussa, in a social media post, appealed for prayers for the community, stating that school children were among those affected during the attack.
The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Askira, who hails from Askira-Uba Local Government Area, confirmed the invasion on Friday.
Speaking on the incident, he said information available to him indicated that suspected terrorists riding on motorcycles invaded the schools in the community, although details regarding the exact number of abducted students were still unclear at the time of reporting.
He described the development as deeply disturbing, especially as it reportedly occurred only a few minutes after troops on patrol had left the community.
According to him, the timing of the attack suggests that the insurgents may have been monitoring the movement of security personnel before carrying out the operation.
The lawmaker assured residents that further information would be provided as security agencies continue investigations and search operations in the area.
Efforts to obtain an official statement from the Borno State Police Command were unsuccessful as the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Kenneth Daso, could not be reached at the time of filing the report.
The latest incident has once again raised concerns about the security of schools in parts of northeastern Nigeria, particularly communities located near insurgent strongholds.
Stakeholders continue to call for stronger security measures to protect schools, students, and rural communities from recurring attacks linked to insurgency in the region.
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