The Borno State Government has confirmed receiving a proof-of-life video of the 36 students abducted from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, saying efforts are ongoing to secure their release.
The confirmation was made on Saturday during the Borno State Education Summit in Maiduguri, where the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abba Wakilbe, played the 15-second video as part of a slide presentation.
The summit, themed “Strengthening Safe, Inclusive and Gender-Responsive Education: Building Back Better,” was organised in partnership with the Malala Fund.
Wakilbe disclosed that the students were abducted on June 29 and assured participants that the state government was intensifying efforts to ensure their safe return.
“Since the Chibok abduction, we have not had such an issue. Not until recently did we have the issue in Mussa and subsequently in Lassa,” he said.
According to the commissioner, the 36 students still in captivity comprise 25 girls and 11 boys.
He added that the government had yet to receive any information regarding students abducted from Mussa Community.
Wakilbe described attacks on schools as a major threat to education in Borno State, warning that persistent insecurity could reverse the gains made in rebuilding the sector.
“If this does not stop, progress will not happen, and a lot of what we have achieved will be reversed,” he said.
He appealed to residents and development partners to continue supporting the government’s efforts to protect schools and improve access to education.
Although the state government did not release the proof-of-life footage, officials said it showed the abducted students seated on the ground, with some wearing the uniform of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, while two armed terrorists stood behind them holding a flag bearing Arabic inscriptions.
The abducted students are among victims of recent attacks on schools in Borno State. Reports indicate that 78 students remain in captivity following separate school abductions across the state.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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