Thirty-seven students are missing after jihadists raided their school during final exams on Monday in northeastern Nigeria, according to a list shared by a local government official on Tuesday. The attack occurred in the town of Lassa, Askira Uba district, when assailants from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) stormed the secondary school, killing three people including a soldier and a teacher, the military reported. Initially, authorities said they had rescued 10 students and that only one was missing.
Official List Confirms 37 in Captivity
The “list of students in captivity,” containing the students’ genders and their parents’ mobile phone numbers, was shared with journalists by the area’s local government councillor, Ijagla Ijabila. An intelligence source also showed the same list to AFP, confirming the higher number. The discrepancy between the military’s initial count and the councillor’s list highlights the chaos following the raid.
Rampant Kidnapping for Ransom in Nigeria
Kidnapping for ransom, especially of students, has become a common tactic for both jihadists and non-ideological “bandit” gangs across the conflict-hit north and center of the country. While the 2014 kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls from Chibok by Boko Haram remains Nigeria’s most infamous abduction, school kidnappings continue to plague the nation. In May, jihadists kidnapped more than 40 pupils from Borno state’s Mussa village; they remain in captivity. That same month, suspected jihadists rounded up dozens of schoolchildren from three schools in Oyo state, a rare attack in the southwest, considered the safest region.
Insurgency Since 2009
Nigeria has been fighting a jihadist insurgency since 2009, concentrated in the northeast. Although violence has waned since the peak a decade ago, analysts warn of an uptick in attacks since 2025. The latest abduction underscores the ongoing threat to education and security in the region.
