Full Breakdown
Mass Kidnapping at Lassa Secondary School Amid Ongoing Insurgency
6/30/2026, 1:28:09 AM
Mass Kidnapping at Lassa Secondary School
On Monday, 29 June 2026, gunmen stormed Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Borno State, while students took NECO exams. They fired sporadically, abducted an unspecified number of students and women, and killed at least one teacher. Nigerian forces rescued ten students and teachers; a soldier and a paramilitary member were killed.
Background & Context
Borno is the epicenter of a 15-year jihadist insurgency by Boko Haram and ISWAP and also suffers mass kidnappings by bandits. Weeks earlier, 42 pupils were abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in the same Askira/Uba LGA, highlighting the persistent threat to education and NECO exams.
Timeline
- 09:00 GMT – Gunmen on motorcycles entered Lassa market area, entered Government Day Secondary School, fired sporadically, killed one teacher, abducted students and women.
- Within hours – Security forces rescued ten students and teachers; a soldier and a paramilitary member died; searches began in nearby forests.
Data & Statistics
Rescued: ten students and teachers, unharmed. Casualties: one soldier, one paramilitary member, at least one teacher killed (some residents claim two teachers and a female student). Abducted: an unspecified number of students and women; total missing remains unknown.
Official Statements & Responses
Police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso said security forces confronted the attackers and deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba to comb the bush. Military spokesperson Captain Mohammed Goni confirmed the rescue of ten individuals and the death of a soldier and a paramilitary member. Local officials Solomon Kwamagar and Samaila Kaigama noted the assailants’ military-style uniforms and checkpoint breach.
Community Reaction & Uncertainties
Residents said the gunmen passed a military checkpoint, questioning security. Some locals reported two teachers and a female student killed, differing from official figures. The Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, was unreachable, leaving the total number abducted unverified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The 10 who were rescued were unharmed and receiving care, while efforts to find others still missing were ongoing, military spokesperson Captain Mohammed Goni said.” — Captain Mohammed Goni, Military Spokesperson
- “Around 9am in the morning, ISWAP attacked Lassa Day Secondary School. They shot sporadically. An unspecified number of students have been abducted,” — Nahum Kenneth Daso, Borno State Police Spokesperson
- “Today is Lassa market day. I was informed that they came through the market on motorcycles and went to Government Day Secondary School, Lassa. They shot and killed one teacher and took away all the students who were in their classrooms,” — Solomon Kwamagar, Special Adviser to Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri
- “Yes. There was an attack on students writing NECO exams. The terrorists came around past nine. They passed the military checkpoint. They wore military and forest guard attire. They shot sporadically,” — Samaila Kaigama, President, Borno South Youth Alliance
What’s Next
Security forces continue combing nearby forests for the missing students and women, while state officials promise to reinforce school protection ahead of upcoming NECO examinations.
