Armed insurgents suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists stormed Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State on Monday morning, abducting an unspecified number of students sitting the National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination and carting away several teachers, killing at least one in the process.

The Borno State Police Command confirmed the attack, with spokesperson ASP Nahum Daso saying security agencies had launched efforts to rescue the abducted candidates and account for those still missing. Investigations are ongoing, and security has been reinforced in the area.

Security forces have since rescued seven of the abducted students, though the exact number of missing candidates remains unconfirmed as search teams continue to comb surrounding communities and suspected escape routes.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers, dressed in military camouflage and riding motorcycles, arrived in large numbers during the examination and forced students and staff to flee in different directions before whisking away an unspecified number of candidates and teachers to an unknown destination.

"The soldiers were not around when the terrorists invaded. They came in large numbers, firing sporadically and causing panic everywhere. They took away students' writing NECO and their teachers," one eyewitness said.

Residents alleged that troops stationed in Lassa had left on patrol to nearby Uba, approximately 16 kilometres away, when the insurgents struck. A teacher was shot dead during the assault, while another sustained injuries. The full casualty figure remained unclear as residents continued searching for missing persons.

Parents and community members gathered anxiously near the school and surrounding areas, awaiting updates on the fate of the abducted students. Security authorities assured that all necessary measures were being deployed to secure the release of those still unaccounted for and to prevent further attacks on schools in the region.

The incident has renewed alarm over the deteriorating security situation in southern Borno, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted educational institutions despite sustained military operations across the North East.