Gunmen kidnapped dozens of students from a school in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State on Friday, according to residents and local officials, in an attack that has once again highlighted worsening insecurity in the region.
The attackers reportedly stormed Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area around 9am while classes were underway. Witnesses said the armed men arrived on motorcycles before forcing several pupils away from the school premises.
Residents living near the school said many students were taken during the raid, although some managed to escape into nearby bushes. A teacher at the school confirmed that several children were abducted during the attack.
No group has officially claimed responsibility, but the assault carried similarities to previous kidnappings linked to the Boko Haram armed group, which has operated in northeastern Nigeria for years.
Local lawmaker Midala Usman Balami described the incident as “heartbreaking” and urged security agencies to respond quickly to rescue the abducted students and restore confidence among residents.
Nigeria has witnessed repeated mass kidnappings in recent years, particularly in rural communities where security presence remains weak. Armed groups often target schools and villages for ransom payments and to spread fear among local populations.
Borno State, along with neighbouring regions, has remained one of the areas most affected by armed violence since Boko Haram launched its uprising in 2009. The area around Mussa community lies close to the Sambisa Forest, long considered a stronghold for armed fighters.
In a separate incident on the same day, gunmen also abducted students from a school in Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria. Authorities ordered temporary school closures in the area while security forces launched search operations.
Security analysts have warned that despite a decline in large-scale attacks compared with previous years, armed groups continue to exploit weak state control in remote communities. Experts say poverty, lack of education and limited government presence continue to fuel instability and violence across parts of northern Nigeria.
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