Boko Haram insurgents invade school, abduct students in Borno

An unspecified number of students are feared to have been abducted after Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists invaded Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Borno State on Friday morning, shortly after security forces withdrew from the area.

Armed members of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists invaded Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in the Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State in the early hours of Friday, May 15, 2026. Mussa, a remote village sharing a border with the notorious Sambisa Forest, became the latest target of an abduction attempt as insurgents reportedly stormed the premises on motorcycles. Witnesses indicated that the attackers arrived roughly 10 to 15 minutes after military troops on patrol had exited the community, sparking fears that the insurgents had been closely monitoring security movements before striking.

The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Abdullahi Askira, who hails from the area, confirmed the invasion on Friday morning while noting that exact abduction figures remain sketchy. According to the lawmaker, many students managed to escape into the surrounding wilderness to evade capture, though the status of those left behind remains unknown. “Yes, I can confirm to you that some suspected terrorists riding on motorcycles invaded primary and junior secondary schools in Mussa village this morning. Information at my disposal was that many of the students fled into the bush, but I don’t have details of those abducted yet,” the Deputy Speaker said.

The incident has triggered widespread panic in the border community, with residents calling for urgent intervention. Local sources and social media reports, including an alert from community member Mr. Solomon Mussa, urged for prayers as the situation unfolded. Highlighting the tactical nature of the raid, the Deputy Speaker remarked, “It is also disheartening that the incident took place barely some few minutes after troops on patrol left the community; this signifies that the insurgents or the attackers were spying on the movement of troops before they struck.” At the time of this report, the Borno State Police Command had not yet issued a formal statement on the rescue efforts.

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