Suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked a Primary and Junior Secondary School in Mussa village, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, on Friday, abducting an unspecified number of students and pupils. The assailants, believed to be from the Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) faction, reportedly stormed the school on motorcycles around 9:00 a.m., shortly after military troops on patrol had departed the community.

Sources within the village and familiar with the incident reported a troubling lack of resistance during the attack. Despite a prior heavy military presence in Mussa, residents were shocked to observe that soldiers allegedly fled into nearby mountains as the terrorists approached the school. This left the area unprotected, allowing the insurgents to operate freely for several minutes and abduct the students without any confrontation or even a single gunshot being fired by security operatives.

The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Askira, confirmed the attack, describing the situation as disheartening. While he noted that many students fled into the bush, he initially declined to comment on the number of those abducted, stating that details were sketchy. However, the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance (BSYA), Samaila Kaigama, confirmed the forceful abduction of children, indicating that the attackers were potentially the same faction responsible for the Ngoshe kidnapping of over 400 residents. Kaigama also clarified that the victims were pupils of a day school, not boarders.

The incident has drawn strong reactions, with residents reportedly blaming the government for the alleged inaction of the army. Social media posts, particularly on Facebook, called for prayers for the Mussa community and the abducted school children. Efforts to obtain official statements from the Borno State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, and the Nigerian Army spokesperson, Colonel Onyechi Appolonia Anele, proved unsuccessful, as calls went unanswered and text messages were not replied to. The exact number of abducted students remains unclear as investigations continue.