Follow Us on Google
No fewer than 37 children remain missing following Monday’s attack on Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, according to parents of the affected students.
The school came under attack at about 9 a.m. on Monday while candidates were sitting for the National Examinations Council examination.
The attackers killed two teachers and abducted an unspecified number of students before fleeing the area.
Acting Military Information Officer, North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Capt. Muhammed Goni, had said in a statement on Monday that two security operatives, including a soldier and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force, were killed during the rescue operation.
He said 10 victims were rescued unhurt by ground troops, with support from air platforms providing guidance after troops made contact with the abductors around the Daggu area of the local government.
But in interviews with some of the parents, yesterday, they said the state government had opened a register for families to report missing persons, adding that 37 students were still missing.
A parent, Mbula Bura, whose 19-year-old daughter was abducted, said 37 names had been registered as missing.
He said: “Parents who could not find their children were invited to come and register. I discovered that 37 names have been registered so far as missing. My 19-year-old daughter, Esther Mbula, is still missing. She is in SSS2.”
Another parent, Emmanuel Dari, whose daughter was abducted, said families had been thrown into panic since the attack.
“My 16-year-old daughter is in SSS2. Her name is Lucy Emmanuel. She was in the classroom when the terrorists took them away. Since yesterday, we have not been able to sleep.
“When I heard about the attack, we were confused. Later, I became happy when I heard about the rescue. However, when I got there, neither my daughter nor many other parents’ children could be found,” he said.
According to him, the state government sent a delegation, led by the Commissioner for Education, Lawan Wakilbe, who was in the town to assess the situation.
“The state Commissioner for Education is currently here. They came to see us and assess the situation,” he added.
Meanwhile, a resident of the town, Bitrus Milnda, said two of his relatives were among those abducted.
“Two victims, both related to me on my mother’s side, were abducted. Their names are Martha Wajau and Abori Ujulu. They are both in SSS1,” he said.
When contacted for comments, the state Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, neither answered nor returned calls.
