- Boko Haram insurgents attack Mussa village school, abducting an unknown number of pupils
- Residents panic as children reportedly kidnapped during early morning raid
- Deputy Speaker confirms attack, highlighting possible surveillance of troop movements
Borno state – Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have reportedly attacked a primary and junior secondary school in Mussa village, located in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting an unspecified number of pupils.
Residents said the gunmen stormed the community in large numbers on motorcycles during the early hours of Friday, May 15, shortly after security operatives on patrol reportedly left the area.
Source: Getty Images
Villagers claim several pupils were taken
Local sources told journalists that many children were allegedly kidnapped during the attack, although the exact number of victims has yet to be confirmed by authorities.
“Yes, the attack happened early hours of today (Friday) and it was discovered that many children were abducted,” a resident said.
The source added that the sudden invasion threw the community into panic as several pupils and residents fled for safety.
Deputy Speaker confirms attack
The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Askira, confirmed that the attack occurred but said details regarding the alleged abduction were still unclear.
“Details of the attack are sketchy, but the information at my disposal has it that many of the students fled into the bush, but I don’t have details of those abducted,” he said.
He described the incident as disturbing and suggested the attackers may have monitored troop movements before launching the raid.
“This signifies that the attackers were spying on the movement of troops before they struck,” Askira added.
Social media users call for prayers
Following reports of the incident, several social media users expressed concern over the safety of the children and called for prayers for the affected community.
One Facebook user, Solomon Mussa, wrote: “Good morning, beloved. Please pray for the Mussa Boko Haram attack in Mussa village now. According to a report coming out from Mussa, school children were affected.”
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Borno State Police Command were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
Calls and text messages sent to the command’s spokesperson, Nahum Kenneth Daso, were not answered.
Gunmen kill Christian leader in Plateau
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that tragedy struck Gako village in Riyom LGA of Plateau state as gunmen stormed the community. Assailants killed a Christian leader, Reverend Ayuba Choji, and three members of his immediate family in yet another wave of violence in the area.
The other members of the slain family are Rev. Choji’s wife, Chundung Ayuba, and their two children, Cyril and Endurance Ayuba.
Source: Legit.ng