Fresh fear has gripped residents of Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State after suspected Boko Haram terrorists invaded a school in Mussa village on Friday morning, with many pupils feared abducted during the attack.
The incident, which reportedly happened in the early hours of the day, targeted Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, a school located in the remote community near the dreaded Sambisa Forest, one of the major hideouts used by insurgents in the North-East.
Residents and local sources said the attackers arrived on motorcycles shortly after security troops on patrol had left the area, raising concerns that the terrorists may have monitored the movement of soldiers before launching the assault.
Although the exact number of missing pupils had not been confirmed as of Friday evening, local officials and community members said several students fled into nearby bushes while confusion and panic spread across the village.
The latest attack has once again highlighted the growing insecurity facing communities in Borno State despite years of military operations against insurgent groups in the region.
A local resident, Mr Solomon Mussa, first raised alarm over the attack in a social media post, calling for prayers and support for the affected community.
“Good morning, beloved. Please pray for the Mussa Boko Haram attack in Mussa village now. According to a report coming out from Mussa, school children were affected,” he wrote.
The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Askira, later confirmed the incident while speaking to journalists on Friday.
The lawmaker, who is from Askira-Uba Local Government Area, said terrorists invaded the school premises on motorcycles, causing fear among students and residents.
“Yes, I can confirm to you that some suspected terrorists riding on motorcycles invaded primary and junior secondary schools in Mussa village this morning,” he said.
“Information at my disposal was that many of the students fled into the bush, but I don’t have details of those abducted yet.”
He described the incident as disturbing and noted that the timing of the attack suggested the insurgents may have studied troop movements before striking.
“It is also disheartening that the incident took place barely some few minutes after troops on patrol left the community. This signifies that the insurgents or the attackers were spying on the movement of troops before they struck,” he added.
The deputy speaker promised to provide further details as more information becomes available.
As of Friday night, security agencies had yet to officially announce the number of students missing or whether rescue operations had begun. However, local sources said villagers and security personnel had started searching nearby bushes and surrounding areas for fleeing students.
The attack has thrown Mussa village into panic, with worried parents and relatives desperately seeking information about their children and loved ones.
Residents described the community as one of the vulnerable rural settlements located close to Sambisa Forest, an area that has remained a major operational base for Boko Haram and fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province, widely known as ISWAP.
For more than a decade, communities around Sambisa Forest have suffered repeated attacks, killings, kidnappings and displacement caused by insurgency.
Schools have often been major targets in the conflict, especially after the global outrage that followed the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School Chibok in 2014.
The Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction drew worldwide attention to the dangers facing schools in Nigeria’s North-East and forced the government to introduce several security measures around educational institutions.
Despite military operations and repeated government assurances, attacks on schools and rural communities have continued in parts of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
Many communities in southern Borno, including Askira-Uba, have experienced periodic attacks over the years due to their closeness to forest areas and bush paths used by insurgents.
Residents say movement in and out of some villages becomes more dangerous at night because of fear of attacks or abduction.
The latest incident has also renewed concerns about the safety of schoolchildren in conflict areas and the need for stronger protection for rural schools.
Parents in the region have repeatedly expressed fear over sending their children to school because of insecurity, especially in communities close to insurgent hideouts.
Human rights groups and education advocates have also warned that repeated attacks on schools are worsening the education crisis in the North-East, where many children are already out of school because of conflict and displacement.
Over the years, both the Federal Government and international organisations have launched programmes aimed at rebuilding schools destroyed by insurgents and encouraging displaced children to return to classrooms.
However, continued attacks have made recovery difficult in several communities.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has repeatedly called for stronger military action against insurgents and improved security in rural communities.
The governor has also visited several communities affected by terrorist attacks in recent years, promising support for displaced families and rebuilding damaged schools and infrastructure.
Military authorities have often insisted that Boko Haram has been largely weakened, but attacks such as the latest school invasion continue to raise concerns about the group’s ability to launch deadly operations in remote areas.
The attack on Mussa school comes at a time when many communities in Borno State are still struggling to recover from years of insurgency that have destroyed homes, schools, healthcare centres and livelihoods.
Thousands of families across the North-East remain displaced, while many children have lost access to education because of insecurity.
For parents in Mussa village, Friday’s attack represents another painful reminder of the dangers facing civilians living close to conflict zones.
As families wait anxiously for news about missing children and possible rescue efforts, many residents are calling on the government and security agencies to increase troop presence in vulnerable communities and strengthen protection around schools.
Community leaders also urged authorities to improve intelligence gathering and surveillance around areas bordering Sambisa Forest to prevent future attacks.
For now, fear and uncertainty continue to hang over Mussa village as residents hope that students who fled into the bush will safely return home and that those feared abducted will be rescued alive.