Senator Ndume raises alarm as 42 school children abducted in fresh Borno attack

Crime Diary

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (NPA) — Senator Ali Ndume has raised alarm over the abduction of at least 42 school children following an attack by suspected Islamist militants on a school in insurgency-ravaged Borno State.

According to a report by Reuters, armed men stormed Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area on Friday while classes were ongoing and abducted an unspecified number of pupils.

Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District where the school is located, disclosed in a statement that school authorities confirmed that 32 pupils were abducted directly from the school premises, while another 10 children were reportedly taken from their homes near the school.

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The lawmaker condemned the attack and expressed concern over the worsening security situation in parts of the North-East.

No group has officially claimed responsibility for the abduction, although Boko Haram has carried out similar mass kidnappings in the region in the past.

The latest incident comes hours after the United States military and the Nigerian Army carried out a joint counterterrorism operation that eliminated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the global second-in-command of ISIS.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced the operation on his Truth Social platform, describing it as a meticulously planned overnight mission executed by American forces alongside the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also praised the operation, declaring that terrorists have no hiding place in Nigeria.

As of the time of filing this report, the Borno State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement concerning the abduction.