Fear spread across Borno State on Friday after Boko Haram terrorists attacked a school in Askira-Uba Local Government Area.
The attackers invaded Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School located near the edge of the Sambisa Forest.
Residents said the terrorists arrived on motorcycles less than 30 minutes after security troops left the community on patrol.
The incident sparked panic among pupils, teachers, and residents as many children reportedly fled into nearby bushes.
Abdullahi Askira confirmed the school invasion.
However, he said details about the number of missing pupils were still unclear as of Friday evening.
“Information at my disposal was that many of the students fled into the bush, but I don’t have details of those abducted yet,” he said.
Attack Came Shortly After Troops Left
Askira also described the timing of the attack as disturbing because troops had only recently departed the area.
“It is also disheartening that the incident took place barely some few minutes after troops on patrol left the community,” he said.
“This signifies that the insurgents or the attackers were spying on the movement of troops before they struck,” he added.
Communities around Sambisa Forest have suffered repeated attacks from insurgents despite years of military operations in the region.
Boko Haram and rival extremist factions have frequently targeted schools, villages, and highways across Borno State and other parts of northern Nigeria.
Police Yet To Confirm Missing Pupils
Meanwhile, the Borno State Police Command had not officially confirmed the incident at press time.
Attempts to reach Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, were unsuccessful on Friday evening.
Security agencies are expected to begin search operations to confirm whether any pupils were abducted during the attack.
The latest incident may renew concerns about the safety of schools located near insurgency-prone communities in northeastern Nigeria.
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