Nigeria school attack in Borno kidnaps 37 students, three killed

Armed gunmen identified as members of the Islamic State West Africa Province stormed a secondary school in the town of Lassa, Borno State, while students were taking exams. The attackers opened fire, killing three people, including a soldier, and abducted 37 pupils aged 16‑17. Nigerian police and military forces have launched searches in nearby forests for the missing students and are pursuing the assailants.

The incident highlights the chronic insecurity in Nigeria’s northeast, where jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and IS‑WA have operated since 2009, alongside criminal gangs that kidnap for ransom. The region has seen thousands killed and hundreds of thousands displaced, creating a deepening humanitarian crisis.