Troops Storm ISWAP Hideout in Borno to Rescue 10 Students and Teachers Stolen Straight From NECO Exam Hall

A daring military rescue operation has successfully freed 10 final-year students and teachers who were snatched by terrorists in broad daylight right from their school desks in Borno State.

The fast-moving crisis unfolded in the quiet border town of Lassa, located within the Askira Uba Local Government Area. Heavily armed fighters belonging to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) stormed the local Technical Secondary School. The insurgents completely disrupted the peace of the compound, breaking into exam halls where final-year students were actively writing their National Examinations Council (NECO) papers. Before community alerts could fully spread, the attackers gathered a group of terrified candidates and their instructors, forcing them into a rapid retreat toward deep forest enclaves.

However, the terrorists’ escape plan was short-lived. The Theater Command of Operation HADIN KAI immediately launched a massive, coordinated counter-offensive. Recognizing that time was running out, the Air Component scrambled high-speed strike aircraft alongside advanced Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) planes to search the terrain from above.

The airborne units successfully spotted the moving criminal cell and fed real-time tracking data to ground troops who were pursuing the kidnappers on foot and in combat vehicles.

Military forces finally intercepted the fleeing insurgents near a settlement called Daggu. A fierce, high-stakes gun battle broke out as the troops closed in, aggressively outmaneuvering the terrorist units and forcing them to drop their captives to save their own lives.

The fast response from the combined team paid off, resulting in the clean rescue of 10 abductees. The freed students and teachers emerged from the jungle entirely unhurt and were immediately moved to a secure military facility to receive emergency medical checkups, food, psychological counseling, and support before being reunited with their traumatized families.

“Our troops out-maneuvered the fleeing terrorists, inflicting casualties on them and capturing seven of their operational motorcycles, which has significantly disrupted their ability to escape or launch further attacks,” noted Captain Mohammed Goni, the Acting Military Information Officer for the Joint Task Force Headquarters. “Regrettably, during the intense firefight, one gallant soldier and a dedicated member of the Civilian Joint Task Force made the supreme sacrifice. Their courage and unwavering commitment remain a testament to the collective resolve of our forces to protect innocent citizens.”

While the safe return of the 10 victims has brought immense relief to the Lassa community, the military has made it clear that the operation is far from over. Ground combat units, still guided by overhead air surveillance, are combing the surrounding bushes to track down the remaining criminals and verify if any other students are unaccounted for.

By aggressively shutting down this brazen classroom invasion within hours, the tactical command has sent a loud warning to insurgent networks that schools will remain heavily protected zones, even as local communities mourn the brave security personnel who laid down their lives to bring the children back home safely.