NECO Horror: Terrorists Storm Exam Centre, Students Vanish as Security Forces Launch Manhunt

Panic swept through Lassa community in Borno State on Monday after suspected terrorists invaded a secondary school where students were sitting for the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination, abducting an unspecified number of candidates and other civilians.
The attack occurred at Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, at about 9 a.m., when gunmen reportedly stormed the premises and opened fire indiscriminately before whisking away students and women selling food within the school compound.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, said security forces engaged the attackers and prevented what could have been a much larger abduction.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police immediately deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba to lead ongoing search operations in the surrounding bush.
“ISWAP attacked Lassa Day Secondary School around 9 a.m. They shot sporadically, and an unspecified number of students were abducted. Security forces confronted them, and our personnel are currently combing the area,” Daso said.
A resident of Lassa and Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, Solomon Kwamagar, also confirmed the incident, revealing that the attackers arrived on motorcycles and infiltrated the school through the bustling Lassa market.
Kwamagar said reports reaching him indicated that one teacher was killed during the attack, while many students were taken from their classrooms.
Adding another disturbing dimension to the incident, President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, disclosed that the terrorists allegedly disguised themselves in military and forest guard uniforms, enabling them to move through security checkpoints before launching the assault.
“They came dressed like security personnel and started shooting. One teacher was killed, another sustained gunshot injuries, while several students and food vendors were kidnapped,” Kaigama said.
While official casualty figures remain unclear, some residents claimed that two teachers and a female student lost their lives during the attack.
Authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of victims, as efforts continue to determine how many students and staff members were taken away.
The latest attack has reignited fears in the region, coming just weeks after another mass abduction in Askira/Uba, where dozens of pupils and students were reportedly kidnapped by insurgents.