Borno Commissioner Shares Video of Kidnapped Students

The Borno State Government has confirmed receiving a proof-of-life video of students abducted from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area.

The confirmation came 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 said the government was still working to secure the release of the students, who were abducted on June 29.

“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.

“From the Lassa abduction, we have 36 in captivity. Out of the 36, there are 25 girls and 11 boys,” he stated.

The commissioner, however, said there was still no information on the students abducted from Mussa Community.

He described attacks on schools as a major threat to education in the state.

“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 state in protecting schools and advancing education.

When approached by The PUNCH, officials in charge of the presentation declined to release the video.

However, the footage 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 PUNCH had earlier reported that 78 students remained in captivity following separate abductions in Borno State.