The single sharpest fact in one or two punchy sentences. Who did what, where, when, and why it matters.

Boko Haram terrorists have abducted an unspecified number of students from a school in Borno State, Nigeria. The students were sitting for their National Examinations Council (NECO) exams when the attack occurred.

The students were abducted from Government Day Secondary School in Lassa town, Askira Uba Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, on Monday morning.

They were reportedly writing their Biology exam when the insurgents stormed the school.

The police spokesperson in Borno State, Daso Kenneth, confirmed the incident to Premium Times via telephone.

Mr Kenneth explained that a combined effort by the police, the military, and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) helped rescue other students, but an unknown number of students were taken away by the terrorists.

He added that security personnel are currently on the trail of the insurgents, combing the area for possible chances of rescuing the hostages.

The 2026 NECO Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal kicked off on Monday, 15 June, and will run through Thursday, 23 July.

The National Examinations Council (NECO) spokesperson, Azeez Sani, said the examination body was not aware of the development and could not speak about it.

This is not the first incident of Boko Haram attacking schools in Nigeria. In 2014, the group abducted over 270 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State, leading to the BringBackOurGirls campaign.

The Nigerian government has struggled to contain the Boko Haram insurgency, which has left thousands of people dead and many more displaced.

Boko Haram's attacks on schools have disrupted the educational system in the northeastern region of Nigeria, where many schools have been forced to shut down due to insecurity.

The abductors have been identified as suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.

"That's what we know for now," Mr Kenneth said. "But the military, police, and civilian JTF are currently in the bush, combing the areas for the possible chances of rescuing the hostages."

The police and military are working tirelessly to locate and rescue the abducted students.

The Nigerian government must take decisive action to protect schools and students from Boko Haram's terrorists.

As the search for the abducted students continues, the nation is left to wonder how such attacks can occur in a region where the government has declared a state of emergency.

The Nigerian government has a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of its citizens, especially children who are the future leaders of this great nation.

But the government alone cannot solve this problem. It requires a collective effort from all stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and the community, to prevent such attacks from happening in the future.

The abduction of students from Government Day Secondary School in Borno State is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by Boko Haram to the education sector in Nigeria.