A teacher rescued after the terrorist attack on Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State has described how Nigerian troops rescued 10 abducted victims during a military operation.
The attack occurred on Monday as students were sitting the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). According to Zagazola Makama, a publication that reports on security issues in the Lake Chad region, suspected ISWAP terrorists abducted students and teachers during the incident.
Speaking after the rescue, one of the freed teachers said the military's rapid response and heavy firepower forced the attackers to abandon some of their captives.
"There were many soldiers, and they really helped us to escape because they came with gun trucks," the teacher was quoted as saying.
"Their firepower was what made us escape. They came with heavy firepower, and the terrorists began to run away. They could not even return the fire because the firepower from the soldiers and the team was very, very strong."
According to the publication, security sources said troops launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation immediately after receiving reports of the attack. Ground troops, supported by strike aircraft and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms from the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, tracked the fleeing insurgents.
Acting on real-time aerial intelligence, the troops reportedly intercepted the suspected terrorists around the Daggu axis, where a gun battle followed.
The military operation forced the attackers to abandon some of the abducted victims, leading to the rescue of 10 students and teachers, who were recovered unharmed, the report said.
Troops also recovered seven motorcycles allegedly used by the terrorists, a development security sources said could limit the group's mobility.
The report added that one soldier and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were killed during the operation.
Military authorities said troops have continued clearance operations in the area while monitoring possible escape routes to rescue the remaining abducted victims and apprehend those responsible.
Security has also been reinforced in Lassa and surrounding communities, with troops maintaining an increased presence to protect schools and other vulnerable locations from further attacks.
