Seven Abducted NECO Candidates Rescued as Search Continues in Borno

Seven of the students abducted during an attack on a secondary school in Borno State have been rescued by security operatives, while efforts continue to secure the release of the remaining victims.

The students were among those kidnapped on Monday when suspected ISWAP terrorists stormed Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, where candidates were sitting the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination. The attackers reportedly arrived on motorcycles, fired sporadically and forced an unspecified number of students and traders into the surrounding bush.

Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, confirmed that a joint rescue operation involving the military, police and the Civilian Joint Task Force had successfully rescued seven victims. He said the exact number of those still in captivity had not yet been established, adding that assessment of the incident was still ongoing.

Tar also disclosed that a government delegation had been sent to the affected community to assess the situation, reassure residents and coordinate further response efforts. Security personnel have continued combing nearby forests in search of the remaining abductees following the attack.

Earlier, the Borno State Police Command said officers engaged the terrorists during the raid, preventing what could have been a larger-scale abduction. Authorities have vowed to sustain the operation until all those kidnapped are safely rescued.

The latest incident has renewed concerns over the security of schools in Nigeria's North-East, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted educational institutions despite ongoing counter-insurgency operations.