Other MoA event in Nigeria on Sun 17th May 2026

Nigeria’s deepening security crisis assumed fresh urgency at the weekend after terrorists reportedly abducted 42 schoolchildren in Borno State, even as the Nigerian military, working alongside United States forces, announced the killing of a top Islamic State commander, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, during a coordinated overnight operation around the Lake Chad region.

Similar strikes were carried out against terrorists in Sokoto by the US in conjunction with Nigerian forces on December 25, 2025. The latest incidents have again thrown the country’s fragile security situation into sharp focus, with security experts warning that extremist groups may launch retaliatory attacks in response to the killing of the ISIS leader, while former President Goodluck Jonathan lamented that Nigerians had gradually become desensitised to killings and violence across the country.

The reported abduction in Borno came barely hours after the military disclosed details of a joint Nigeria-United States counter-terrorism operation that reportedly eliminated al-Minuki, described by American authorities as the global second-in-command of the Islamic State terrorist organisation and one of the most influential ISWAP commanders operating within the Lake Chad Basin and the wider Sahel region.

Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, confirmed that no fewer than 42 students and children were abducted after Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists attacked Primary and Junior Government Day Secondary School, GDSS, Mussa, in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

The lawmaker said the attackers stormed the schools during early morning lessons on Friday and whisked away pupils and students, while some other children were abducted from nearby homes.

According to him, information obtained from the school authorities showed that four students were abducted from the secondary school section, including two boys and two girls, while 28 pupils were taken from the primary section.

Another 10 children were reportedly kidnapped from residential homes within the community, bringing the total number of abducted persons to 42.