The Borno State Government has confirmed receiving a proof-of-life video of students abd¥cted from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, assuring that efforts are ongoing to secure their release.
The disclosure was made on Saturday by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abba Wakilbe, during the Borno State Education Summit in Maiduguri. The 15-second video was shown as part of a presentation at the summit, which was themed “Strengthening Safe, Inclusive and Gender-Responsive Education: Building Back Better” and organised in partnership with the Malala Fund.
Providing an update on the incident, Wakilbe said 36 students remain in captivity, comprising 25 girls and 11 boys.
“Since the Chibok abd¥ction, we have not had such an issue. Not until recently did we have the issue in Mussa and subsequently in Lassa.
“From the Lassa abd¥ction, we have 36 in c@ptivity. Out of the 36, there are 25 girls and 11 boys,” he said.
The commissioner added that there is still no information on the whereabouts of students abd¥cted from Mussa Community.
He described att@cks on schools as a serious thre@t to education in the state, warning that continued insecurity could reverse the gains made in the sector.
“If this does not stop, progress will not happen, and a lot of what we have achieved will be reversed,” he said.
Wakilbe appealed to residents and development partners to continue supporting the government’s efforts to protect schools and strengthen education across the state.
Although officials declined to release the proof-of-life video to journalists, the footage reportedly showed the abd¥cted students seated on the ground, some wearing Government Day Secondary School, Lassa uniforms, while two armed terr%rists stood behind them holding a flag bearing Arabic inscriptions.
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