MONGUNO, BORNO — Troops of Sector 3, Operation HADIN KAI, backed by operatives of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (MOPOL), repelled a daring 1:30 a.m. assault by suspected ISWAP terrorists on the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Monguno, frustrating what security authorities described as a planned mass abduction of students.
The swift counter-offensive saw security forces rescue all 46 students housed in the school, which is currently serving as a temporary hostel for the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno, under the Borno State Government.
Military authorities said the terrorists allegedly infiltrated the facility with the aid of suspected collaborators, hoping to carry out another high-profile school kidnapping in the North-East.
The plot, however, collapsed within minutes after Sector 3 troops mounted a fierce resistance.
Security personnel at the school immediately engaged the insurgents, while the Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force (QRF) raced to the scene and reinforced the defenders with superior firepower.
Unable to withstand the coordinated assault, the terrorists fled in confusion without abducting a single student, abandoning their operation as troops tightened the security cordon around the institution.
Although the rescue mission prevented a potentially devastating kidnapping, the attack left a tragic toll.
Military authorities confirmed that some students lost their lives after being struck by indiscriminate gunfire fired by the terrorists during the exchange, while parts of the school’s infrastructure sustained damage.
Following the operation, all 46 rescued students were evacuated to Kinnasara Barracks, Monguno, where they underwent immediate medical screening and treatment.
The military confirmed that every rescued student was found to be medically stable.
Operation HADIN KAI expressed profound sympathy to the families of the deceased, describing the incident as a painful reminder of the brutality of terrorist groups targeting vulnerable civilians and educational institutions.
The Joint Task Force disclosed that exploitation operations are underway to identify and arrest the suspected collaborators believed to have facilitated the terrorists’ entry into the school, while troops and other security agencies have intensified the pursuit of the fleeing insurgents.
The military reaffirmed that Sector 3 and other formations of Operation HADIN KAI remain on high alert across the North-East, sustaining offensive operations aimed at dismantling terrorist networks, denying insurgents freedom of movement and ensuring that schools and other critical public infrastructure remain protected against future attacks.
