By Sadiq Abdulfatah

Gunmen on Monday attacked Lassa and abducted students writing their secondary school examinations at Lassa Day Secondary School, according to the police.

The attack occurred on Monday morning in the Askira Uba area of Borno State. Police spokesman Nahum Daso said security personnel had rescued 10 victims a few hours after the incident but noted that the exact number of abducted students was yet to be confirmed.

Daso said authorities were still working to determine how many students were taken by the attackers. He added that, apart from the 10 people rescued, no official casualty figures had been released.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Borno State has witnessed years of insurgency that have claimed thousands of lives and forced millions of people to flee their homes.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International Nigeria said two teachers and one student were killed during the attack. The organisation stressed that schools should remain safe places for learning and that no child should have to choose between getting an education and staying alive.

The rights group called on the Nigerian government to strengthen the protection of schools and safeguard the lives of children, warning that continued attacks by armed groups pose a serious threat to education across northern Nigeria.

Source: Associated Press (AP)