The Borno State Government has confirmed receiving a proof-of-life video of students abducted from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area.
The confirmation was made on Saturday during the Borno State Education Summit in Maiduguri, where the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abba Wakilbe, displayed the 15-second video as part of a presentation.
The summit, themed “Strengthening Safe, Inclusive and Gender Responsive Education: Building Back Better,” was organised in partnership with the Malala Fund.
Speaking at the event, Wakilbe said the state government was continuing efforts to secure the release of the students, who were abducted on June 29.
He disclosed that 36 students from the Lassa school remain in captivity, comprising 25 girls and 11 boys.
“Since the Chibok abduction, we have not had such an incident. Not until recently did we experience the attacks in Mussa and subsequently in Lassa,” the commissioner said.
He added that the government was yet to receive any information about students abducted from the Mussa Community.
Wakilbe described attacks on schools as a serious threat to education in the state, warning that continued insecurity could reverse the gains recorded in rebuilding the education sector.
“If this does not stop, progress will not happen, and a lot of what we have achieved will be reversed,” he said.
He appealed to residents, development partners and other stakeholders to continue supporting the government’s efforts to safeguard schools and improve access to education.
Although officials declined to release the proof-of-life video to journalists, the footage reportedly showed the abducted students seated on the ground, with some dressed in the uniform of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa. Two armed terrorists were seen standing behind them holding a flag bearing Arabic inscriptions.
The latest development comes weeks after the students were abducted from the school, with authorities intensifying efforts to secure their safe return.
