Borno State Confirms Proof‑of‑Life Video of 36 Abducted Schoolchildren

The Borno State Government announced that it has received a proof‑of‑life video showing 36 students abducted on June 29 from Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area. The disclosure was made at the Borno State Education Summit in Maiduguri, organised with the Malala Fund, where Education Commissioner Abba Wakilbe played a 15‑second clip. The footage shows the captives seated on the ground, some in school uniform, with two armed men standing behind them holding a flag bearing Arabic script.

Wakilbe confirmed that the 36 hostages consist of 25 girls and 11 boys and said the state is intensifying efforts to secure their release. He warned that repeated attacks on schools threaten the progress made in education and appealed to residents, development partners and other stakeholders for continued support. He noted that no information has yet been received about students abducted from the nearby Mussa community. While officials declined to release the video publicly, they said a total of 78 students remain in captivity following several separate kidnappings across Borno State.