Daud Olatunji
An undisclosed number of students were killed after suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched a midnight attack on a students’ hostel in Monguno, Borno State, in a failed attempt to abduct occupants of the facility.
The Nigerian military said, however, that troops of Operation HADIN KAI, supported by personnel of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force, repelled the attackers and successfully rescued all 46 students in the hostel.
The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Monguno, which is currently being used by the Borno State Government as a temporary hostel for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, the military disclosed that the terrorists allegedly gained access to the school through the assistance of suspected collaborators.
According to the statement, security personnel on duty immediately engaged the attackers, while troops from the Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force swiftly reinforced the school.
“The terrorists reportedly gained access to the facility with the assistance of suspected collaborators in an attempt to abduct students,” the statement said.
It added that security operatives responded with coordinated firepower, forcing the terrorists to abandon their mission.
“Alert security personnel immediately engaged the terrorists with coordinated and overwhelming firepower, effectively stalling their advance, with Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force immediately reinforcing the school.
“Confronted by the superior combat capability and determined resistance of the security forces, the terrorists were forced to abandon their criminal mission and flee in confusion without achieving their objective,” the military stated.
The military confirmed that no student was abducted during the attack, noting that all 46 students were evacuated to Kinnasara Barracks in Monguno, where they received medical attention and were certified to be in stable condition.
It, however, disclosed that some students lost their lives after being hit by bullets fired by the fleeing terrorists during the exchange of gunfire.
“Following the operation, troops successfully rescued and evacuated all 46 students to Kinnasara Barracks, Monguno, where they received immediate medical assessment and appropriate care. All rescued students have been confirmed medically stable and no student was abducted.
“Regrettably, some students were fatally struck by the sporadic gunfire from the terrorists during the firefight,” the statement added.
The military did not disclose the number of casualties.
Operation HADIN KAI also revealed that parts of the school’s infrastructure were damaged during the attack.
It expressed condolences to the families of the deceased students and assured that efforts were underway to bring those behind the attack to justice.
The military said investigations had commenced to identify and arrest suspected collaborators believed to have facilitated the terrorists’ access to the facility, while troops had launched a manhunt for the fleeing insurgents.
The latest attack has renewed concerns over the security of educational institutions in Nigeria’s North-East, where Boko Haram and ISWAP have repeatedly targeted schools in a series of deadly attacks and mass abductions despite ongoing military operations and government assurances of improved security.
Operation HADIN KAI reiterated its commitment to sustaining pressure on terrorist groups and safeguarding schools, communities and other critical public infrastructure across the region.
