The Borno State Government has confirmed receiving a proof-of-life video of the 36 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, played the 15-second video as part of a slide presentation.
Speaking at the summit, themed “Strengthening Safe, Inclusive and Gender-Responsive Education: Building Back Better,” Wakilbe said the government remains committed to securing the release of the students, who were abducted on June 29.
He disclosed that 36 students are still being held captive, comprising 25 girls and 11 boys.
“Since the Chibok abduction, we have not had such an issue. Not until recently did we have the issue in Mussa and subsequently in Lassa,” Wakilbe said.
The commissioner added that there is still no information regarding the students abducted from the Mussa community.
He described attacks on schools as a serious threat to education in Borno State, warning that continued insecurity could reverse the gains made 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.
Wakilbe appealed to residents, humanitarian organisations, and development partners to continue supporting the government’s efforts to safeguard schools and strengthen access to education.
According to the commissioner, the proof-of-life footage showed the abducted students seated on the ground, with some wearing the uniform of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, while two armed terrorists stood behind them holding a flag bearing Arabic inscriptions. The government did not disclose further details about the video or ongoing efforts to secure the students’ release.
