What could have been another abduction of many students was foiled in the early hours of Sunday, July 19, by men of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force.
However, during a gun duel between the terrorists and the security personnel, an undisclosed number of students were killed, as confirmed by the Nigerian Army.
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI, in collaboration with personnel of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (MOPOL) foiled the attempted mass abduction by ISWAP terrorists at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Monguno, around 1:30 hours a.m.
The school is also currently being used by the Borno State government as temporary hostel accommodation for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno.
It was gathered that the terrorists gained access to the facility with the assistance of suspected collaborators in an attempt to abduct the students.
Security personnel who were alerted about the attack immediately engaged the terrorists with coordinated and overwhelming firepower, effectively stalling their advance with Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force (QRF) immediately reinforcing the school.
Confronted by the superior combat capability and determined resistance of the security forces, the terrorists were forced to abandon their mission and flee in different directions without achieving their objective.
During the encounter, parts of the school infrastructure were damage but the attempt was contained by the troops and the police personnel.
Following the foiling of the abduction, the troops and police operatives moved 46 students in the hostel 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. However, some students were fatally struck by the sporadic gunfire from the terrorists during the gun duel.
“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 Nigerian Army said in a statement on Sunday.
