EXCLUSIVE: 36 Students Still Missing After Borno School Attack

At least 36 students are still unaccounted for following an attack on Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Borno State, Nigeria, according to further investigations.

This figure, confirmed by interviews with parents and a community-generated register, surpasses earlier claims of 35 missing students. The register includes the names, classes, sex, and contact details of the 36 missing individuals. Parents interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES confirmed their children had not returned home and that neither security agencies nor the abductors had made contact.

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No, my child is yet to be released because out of the seven that were released yesterday, she wasn’t among them.

"No, my child is yet to be released because out of the seven that were released yesterday, she wasn’t among them," said Mr Simon, father of SS2 student Partsi Simon. Another parent confirmed his son, SS1 student Raju Wadzani, had not returned, stating, "They haven’t been rescued. They are still in their hands."

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They haven’t been rescued. They are still in their hands.

The Borno State Government corroborated the figures after a stakeholders' meeting in Lassa. The government confirmed the missing students comprise 25 females and 11 males from SS1, SS2, and SS3, aligning with the community register. The Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, led a delegation to assess the situation and meet affected families.

As a precautionary measure, the state government has ordered the temporary closure of schools in Lassa, Dille, and Chul. However, students sitting ongoing external examinations will be allowed to continue their papers at Government Secondary School, pending further decisions.

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No.