RismadarVoice Reporters, May 16, 2026
The senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Mohammed Ali Ndume has confirmed that no fewer than 42 students and pupils were reportedly abducted following an attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents on Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
The attack reportedly occurred around 9 a.m. on Friday in Mussa community, situated along the fringes of the Sambisa Forest, raising fresh concerns over the safety of schools and communities in the North-East.
According to Ndume, four students were abducted from the Government Day Secondary School section, comprising two male and two female students, while 28 pupils were taken from the primary school section. He added that another 10 children were reportedly kidnapped from their homes, bringing the total number of abductees to 42.
Member representing Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency, Midala Balami, confirmed the incident and described the assault as devastating, condemning the continued targeting of innocent children and civilians by armed groups.
“It is heartbreaking that innocent school children and residents continue to suffer under the threat of terrorism and violence in our communities,” Balami stated.
However, the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, gave a slightly different account, stating that community findings put the number of abducted students at 40.
Kaigama explained that local representatives conducted house-to-house checks to determine the number of missing children and compiled a list based on reports from affected families.
“From the list obtained through our representatives in the community, 40 students were confirmed missing, including 19 males and 21 females,” he said.
The latest incident adds to a series of insurgent attacks around communities bordering the Sambisa Forest, despite ongoing military offensives against Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters across Nigeria’s North-East region.
