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Gunmen Kidnap Dozens of Students During Exams at Borno School

The raid signals weakening school security in the northeast, raising the risk of longer-term disruption to education.

School items belonging to abducted students of Baptist Nursery and Primary School sit inside an empty classroom in Oyo State, Nigeria, June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Sodiq Adelakun

Overview

  • Gunmen attacked Government Day Secondary School in Lassa while candidates were taking NECO exams, entering around 9 a.m. on Monday and seizing dozens of pupils.
  • Security forces, the Civilian Joint Task Force and local vigilantes mounted search-and-rescue missions that recovered about 10 people and engaged attackers near the Daggu area.
  • Official tallies vary: local councillors and parents have registered roughly 35–37 students as missing while state education officials reported 25 girls, 11 boys and one staff member still held.
  • Confirmed fatalities include at least one teacher killed during the raid and one soldier plus one CJTF member killed in a follow-up operation, while rights groups say additional deaths occurred.
  • Authorities suspect Boko Haram/ISWAP involvement based on tactics used and disguises reported by witnesses, and the attack highlights the yearslong threat that school kidnappings pose to communities and learning in northeastern Nigeria.