There was tension in Lassa community, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, on Tuesday as parents listed at least 36 children missing following a deadly school attack, while angry youths confronted a government delegation sent to sympathise with victims’ families.
The attack, which occurred on Monday at Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, was carried out by suspected ISWAP terrorists during the National Examinations Council examination.
The assailants reportedly killed two teachers and abducted an unspecified number of students.
Following the incident, the state government dispatched a delegation led by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abba Wakilbe, to the community on Tuesday to assess the situation and commiserate with affected families.
However, the visit turned chaotic when youths and relatives of the abducted students rejected the delegation’s address. The angry crowd chanted “we don’t want,” insisting that government officials should prioritise rescuing the children.
“We don’t want any talk, just go and bring back our children,” the youths repeatedly shouted as tensions escalated.
Efforts by the commissioner and his team to calm the situation and deliver a formal address failed, forcing them to retreat under pressure as the crowd became increasingly agitated.
The delegation was later escorted out of the community by protesting youths wielding placards.
Some of the youths also chanted, “Don’t play politics with our children,” as anger over the abduction deepened.
Meanwhile, parents have begun compiling names of missing students at the request of authorities.
Several families confirmed that at least 36 children have been listed as unaccounted for.
A parent, Mbula Bura, said his 19-year-old daughter, Esther Mbula, remains missing after the attack.
“Parents who could not find their children were invited to come and register. I discovered that 37 names have been registered so far,” he said.
Another parent, Emmanuel Dari, said the community had been thrown into a panic since the incident.
“My 16-year-old daughter, Lucy Emmanuel, was in SSS2. She was in class when the terrorists came. Since yesterday, we cannot sleep,” he said.
He added that families initially received conflicting information about possible rescues before being informed that many children were still missing.
A resident, Bitrus Milnda, also confirmed that two of his relatives were among those abducted, naming them as Martha Wajau and Abori Ujulu, both SSS1 students.
Earlier reports indicated that Nigerian Army troops under Operation Hadin Kai had rescued 10 victims, including students and teachers, during a coordinated search-and-rescue operation supported by air surveillance.
The military said two security personnel were killed during the operation.
The Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, confirmed that efforts were ongoing to rescue remaining abductees, though the exact number was yet to be ascertained at the time.
The incident has heightened fears in the community as families continue to await updates on the fate of their children.
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