SOME students have been killed after suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists attempted to abduct dozens of students at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Monguno, Borno State, in the early hours of Sunday, despite security forces foiling the attack.
The Nigerian military said troops of Operation HADIN KAI, working with personnel of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (MOPOL), prevented the terrorists from abducting any of the 46 students at the school currently serving as temporary accommodation for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno.
The military disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, July 19, by the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Mohammed Goni.
According to the statement, the attack occurred at about 1:30 a.m. when the terrorists reportedly gained access to the facility with the assistance of suspected collaborators.
The military said security personnel engaged the attackers before troops from the Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force reinforced the school, forcing the terrorists to flee without carrying out the planned abduction.
“Confronted by the superior combat capability and determined resistance of the security forces, the terrorists were forced to abandon their criminal mission and flee in confusion without achieving their objective,” the statement said.
It added that all 46 students were rescued and evacuated to Kinnasara Barracks in Monguno, where they received medical assessment and treatment.
While confirming that no student was abducted, the military said some students were fatally struck by sporadic gunfire by the terrorists during the exchange of fire between troops and the attackers.
It did not disclose the number of those killed or injured.
It is also unclear whether the affected students were polytechnic students or the FGGC’s.
The statement also said parts of the school infrastructure were damaged during the attack.
Operation HADIN KAI said it had commenced efforts to identify and apprehend suspected collaborators who allegedly aided the terrorists’ access to the school, while troops and other security agencies were pursuing the fleeing insurgents.
The military extended its condolences to the families of the deceased and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting schools and other critical infrastructure across Nigeria’s North-East.
Attack on schools persists
The attempted attack on the Monguno school comes amid renewed concerns over the safety of schools in Nigeria following a series of attacks on educational institutions during public examinations.
Just four days earlier, gunmen invaded Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State while candidates were sitting the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination.
The attackers abducted the school principal, a NECO ad hoc official and four students, disrupting the examination and prompting a joint rescue operation by security agencies.
Although all the victims have since been rescued, the incident renewed fears over the vulnerability of schools despite repeated assurances by the Federal Government that educational institutions are being protected under the Safe Schools Initiative.
The Kogi attack came barely five weeks after armed men attacked Government Secondary School, Iluke Bunu, also in Kogi State, during the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Three people, including the school’s vice principal, were killed in that attack, while residents alleged that some students were abducted.
Similarly, on June 29, suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State during the ongoing NECO examination and abducted several students. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai later rescued 10 of the victims after engaging the attackers in a gun battle.
The latest attempted abduction in Monguno also comes days after the release of pupils and teachers abducted from a secondary school in Oyo State, where the victims spent 56 days in captivity before regaining their freedom.
More than a decade after the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, in April 2014 drew global attention to attacks on schools, educational institutions in parts of Nigeria continue to face threats from terrorists and armed groups.
Between 2014 and 2025, more than 1,000 students were abducted in mass school kidnappings across the country, including the Chibok, Dapchi, Kankara, Jangebe, Greenfield University, Afaka, Kuriga and Papari school abductions, according to data compiled by The ICIR.
