Boko Haram dressed as soldiers to abduct Borno NECO candidates – security source

Last Monday, 29 June 2026, suspected Boko Haram insurgents disguised in military and Forest Guard uniforms stormed Lassa town in Askira/Uba LGA, Borno State, and abducted students who were about to sit for their NECO practical examinations. A senior security source told SaharaReporters that the attackers drove straight to Government Day Secondary School, cordoned it off, and took away an unspecified number of students and a teacher, while shooting two others — one teacher killed, another shot in the neck and rushed to hospital.

What makes this deeply suspicious is the timing. According to the source, the military commander at the nearby Federal Science and Technical College camp assembled his soldiers and left for a patrol in Dille village, about seven kilometres away, less than five minutes before the terrorists arrived. The soldiers did not return during the attack, giving the abductors a clear window to escape with the victims. Among those taken are Asta Mallum Bura, 18, and Fibi Ibrahim, 18. The abducted teacher is the Vice Principal.

Residents are now questioning whether there was prior knowledge of the attack. A community leader who spoke on condition of anonymity said villagers suspect conspiracy and foul play — that some security stakeholders knew what was coming and deliberately left innocent people exposed. If soldiers stationed 500 metres from the school can vanish minutes before an attack, what exactly is the point of having a military base there?