Fresh waves of insecurity swept across parts of Nigeria yesterday as armed attackers invaded schools in both Borno State and Oyo State, abducting pupils, students, and a school principal in separate incidents that have heightened fears over the safety of educational institutions.
In Borno, suspected Boko Haram insurgents reportedly stormed a primary and junior secondary school in Mussa village, Askira-Uba local government area, abducting an unspecified number of pupils during a dawn raid that threw the community into panic.
Residents said the attackers arrived on motorcycles shortly after troops on patrol had reportedly left the area, creating what locals described as an opening for the assault. Community sources disclosed that several schoolchildren were taken during the invasion, although the exact number of abducted pupils remained unclear as of press time.
Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Askira, confirmed the incident, saying authorities were still verifying details of the attack. According to him, many pupils fled into surrounding bushes when the gunmen invaded the school premises, while security agencies continued efforts to determine the scale of the abduction.
He described the attack as disturbing and suggested the insurgents may have monitored troop movements before launching the operation.
Meanwhile, in Oyo State, gunmen abducted the principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, in Oriire local government area, alongside an unspecified number of students during another school attack yesterday morning. The attackers reportedly stormed the school between 8am and 9am, causing panic among staff, students, and residents of the community.
Sources said the gunmen whisked away the principal, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, and several students, while a teacher was shot during the operation. However, the condition of the injured teacher had not been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report. Residents further disclosed that the attackers escaped with the principal in her vehicle and fled into a nearby forest reserve bordering the community.
Locals also alleged that the response from security operatives was delayed because the nearest police formation, believed to be the Ikoyi Division, was located far from the affected area.
The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the incident through its Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, who said the Commissioner of Police had deployed officers to the community to assess the situation and begin investigations.
He, however, did not confirm the exact number of persons abducted.
