Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) has confirmed that 42 persons, including schoolchildren and pupils, were abducted during a deadly Boko Haram/ISWAP invasion of Primary and Junior Government Day Secondary School, Mussa, in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
In a statement released to journalists on Saturday in Maiduguri, Ndume disclosed that figures obtained from school authorities showed that four students were kidnapped from the secondary school section, 28 pupils from the primary school, while 10 other children were abducted from nearby homes during the attack.
The lawmaker described the incident as “barbaric and disheartening,” urging troops of Operation HADIN KAI and other security agencies to intensify rescue efforts and restore peace in the troubled community.
According to him, the attackers struck during early morning classes, leaving parents, guardians and residents in fear and confusion.
Ndume lamented that communities across Borno South Senatorial District have continued to suffer repeated assaults by insurgents, noting that recent attacks on communities in Chibok also claimed several lives, including elderly residents.
He said the latest abduction in Mussa was particularly disturbing because the victims were targeted while receiving lessons in school.
The senator appealed to the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to move swiftly to secure the safe release of the abducted victims and prevent further attacks in the area.
He also sympathised with families who lost loved ones in recent insurgent attacks across Southern Borno.
