Tension erupted in Lassa Community in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State on Tuesday as angry youths and grieving residents chased away a state government delegation, insisting that authorities focus on rescuing students abducted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists rather than offering sympathy visits.
The delegation, led by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abba Wakilbe, had visited the community to commiserate with families of students kidnapped during Monday’s attack on Government Day Secondary School, where candidates were sitting for the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination.
The visit, however, descended into chaos when the commissioner attempted to address residents at the school premises.
Enraged youths and relatives of the missing students interrupted his speech, chanting: “We don’t want talk. Go and bring back our children.”
Some of the protesters also accused the government of politicising the tragedy, repeatedly shouting: “Don’t play politics with our children.”
Despite efforts by the commissioner to calm the crowd, the protesters remained defiant, forcing him and members of the delegation to abandon the visit and leave the community.
The incident came barely a day after suspected Boko Haram insurgents stormed the school at about 9 a.m. on Monday while students were writing their NECO examinations.
During the attack, two teachers were reportedly killed, while an unspecified number of students were abducted and taken into the bush.
The Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, had earlier confirmed the attack, assuring that security agencies had launched operations to rescue the abducted students.
Although authorities have yet to officially confirm the number of victims still in captivity, reports indicate that at least 37 students remain unaccounted for, as rescue efforts continue.
