The Borno State Police Command has revealed that the gunmen who abducted students writing the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination in Lassa Community, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, disguised themselves as traders on the community’s market day before launching the attack.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Daso, described the incident as unfortunate, noting that the victims were students sitting for their examinations.
According to Daso, the attackers infiltrated the community in the early hours of Monday by concealing their weapons and blending in with traders before opening fire.
“What happened was that in the early hours of Monday, a large number of gunmen invaded the Lassa community. Since it was the community’s market day, they disguised themselves as traders, concealed their weapons, entered the town and started shooting sporadically into the air,” he said.
The police spokesman disclosed that the attack claimed the life of one teacher, while another sustained gunshot injuries.
He added that the chaos caused several students to flee, making it difficult for authorities to immediately determine how many had been abducted.
“The incident led to the death of a teacher, while another teacher was shot. We also received reports that some students panicked and went missing during the attack,” Daso said.
He, however, confirmed that troops of Operation HADIN KAI had launched search-and-rescue operations in the surrounding forest and successfully rescued 10 victims.
“The troops combed the forest and were able to rescue about 10 victims,” he stated.
Daso explained that security agencies and education authorities were still reconciling records with the school and parents to establish the exact number of students abducted, as some fled to neighbouring communities during the attack.
“We do not yet have the exact number of abducted students because some escaped to nearby communities. We expect to have clearer information after a proper headcount. The Commissioner for Education is already at the scene to determine how many students are still unaccounted for,” he added.
The police update followed an earlier statement by the Acting Military Information Officer of Headquarters Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, confirming the rescue of 10 students.
According to the Nigerian Army, the attack occurred at about 9:00 a.m. on Monday, June 29, 2026, at the Technical Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area while students were writing their NECO examinations.
The Army said the Theatre Command deployed both strike aircraft and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms to support troops conducting coordinated search-and-rescue operations.
It added that troops made contact with the attackers around Daggu, leading to a firefight that resulted in the successful rescue of 10 students, who were unharmed and are currently receiving care, while efforts continue to rescue any remaining victims and apprehend those responsible.
