Nigeria: Reports Say 37 Students Missing After Armed Attack on School in Borno State

Nigeria: Reports Say 37 Students Missing After Armed Attack on School in Borno State
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At least 37 students have been reported missing following an armed attack on a secondary school in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno State, according to local officials, amid conflicting accounts over the number of students still unaccounted for.

The attack occurred on Monday in the town of Lassa, located in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, while students were sitting their final examinations. Local sources said the assailants, suspected to be affiliated with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), stormed the school during the exams.

The Nigerian military said the attack killed three people, including a soldier and a teacher. It also reported rescuing 10 students and initially stated that only one student remained missing.

However, a local government official, Ijagla Ijabila of Askira/Uba, later shared with media outlets a list containing the names of 37 students who were still believed to be missing, along with contact information for their families, indicating that efforts to determine the full number of victims were ongoing.

The attack comes amid continuing concerns over the abduction of students in Nigeria, where schools have repeatedly been targeted by armed groups and criminal gangs seeking ransom payments or pursuing other objectives.

Nigeria has faced an Islamist insurgency in its northeast since 2009. Although the overall level of violence has declined compared with previous years, security analysts have warned of an increase in attacks since 2025.