ISWAP terrorists killed some students during a failed abduction attempt at FGGC Monguno, Borno. Troops foiled the attack and rescued 46 students
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai and personnel of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (MOPOL) have foiled an attempt by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists to abduct students at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Monguno, Borno State, but not before some students were killed by stray bullets fired by the fleeing terrorists.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by Mohammed Goni, acting military information officer of Operation Hadin Kai.
Pre-dawn raid with suspected inside help
The terrorists attacked the school at about 1:30am on Saturday, allegedly gaining access with the assistance of suspected collaborators. The FGGC facility is currently being used as temporary hostel accommodation for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno, though it is not immediately clear whether the students killed were from FGGC Monguno or the polytechnic.
“Alert security personnel immediately engaged the terrorists with coordinated and overwhelming firepower, effectively stalling their advance with Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force (QRF) immediately reinforcing the school,” the statement reads.
Terrorists forced to flee without achieving objective
Goni said the security forces’ response neutralised the attack before the abduction could be carried out.
“Confronted by the superior combat capability and determined resistance of the security forces, the terrorists were forced to abandon their criminal mission and flee in confusion without achieving their objective. During the encounter, parts of the school infrastructure sustained damage, but the attempt was well contained by troops in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force personnel.”
46 students rescued and confirmed medically stable
All 46 students were evacuated to Kinnasara Barracks, Monguno, where they received immediate medical assessment and care.
“Following the operation, troops successfully rescued and evacuated all 46 students to Kinnasara Barracks, Monguno, where they received immediate medical assessment and appropriate care. All rescued students have been confirmed medically stable and no student was abducted. Regrettably, some students were fatally struck by the sporadic gunfire from the terrorists during the firefight,” the statement reads.
Operation Hadin Kai extended condolences to the families of the deceased.
“Operation HADIN KAI extends its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and reassures the public that all necessary measures are being taken to safeguard the lives of residents and protect critical public institutions across the North East in liaison with the Borno State Government.”
The army said it is making efforts to identify and apprehend the suspected collaborators who allegedly helped the terrorists gain access to the facility, while security operatives are actively tracking the fleeing ISWAP fighters.
Background
The attack on FGGC Monguno echoes one of the most traumatic events in Nigeria’s recent history. In April 2014, Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, in an incident that drew global attention under the hashtag BringBackOurGirls. Many of those girls have still not been returned. ISWAP, which split from Boko Haram in 2016, has continued to target soft civilian infrastructure in the Lake Chad Basin, including schools, markets and aid worker convoys.
Sunday’s foiled abduction in Monguno, a town that has itself been the site of repeated militant activity due to its proximity to Lake Chad, suggests that schools in Nigeria’s Northeast remain high-value targets for ISWAP despite sustained military operations in the region under Operation Hadin Kai.
