Foiled ISWAP attack on Borno school leaves students dead, 46 others rescued

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI, working alongside personnel of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (MOPOL), have foiled an attempted mass abduction by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Monguno, Borno State.

The military said the attack occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on Saturday when the terrorists  attempted to invade the school, which is currently being used by the Borno State Government as temporary hostel accommodation for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno.

In a statement on Sunday, Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni, said the terrorists reportedly gained access to the premises with the assistance of suspected collaborators in a bid to abduct the students.

He said alert security personnel immediately engaged the attackers, while troops from Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force swiftly reinforced the school, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire.

According to Goni, the coordinated response by the military and police overwhelmed the insurgents, forcing them to abandon the operation and flee without succeeding in abducting any student.

Although parts of the school infrastructure were damaged during the attack, he said the security forces successfully contained the situation and prevented what could have been a major tragedy.

Following the operation, all 46 students in the facility were rescued and evacuated to Kinnasara Barracks in Monguno, where they underwent medical examination and received necessary care.

“The rescued students have all been confirmed medically stable, and no student was abducted,” Goni said.

He, however, disclosed that some students lost their lives after being struck by sporadic gunfire fired by the terrorists during the exchange.

The military expressed condolences to the bereaved families and assured residents that efforts were underway to strengthen the security of communities and critical public institutions across the North-East.

Goni said security agencies had launched an exploitation operation to identify and apprehend suspected collaborators who facilitated the attack, while troops were pursuing the fleeing terrorists.

He reaffirmed Operation HADIN KAI’s commitment to sustaining military pressure on terrorist groups, degrading their operational capabilities and ensuring that schools and other critical infrastructure across the region remain secure.