By Teddy Nwanunobi
In what would have been a dent to the fight against terrorism, troops of Operation HADIN KAI, in collaboration with personnel of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (NPF), have foiled an attempted mass abduction by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists at the Federal Government Girls College, Monguno, Borno State.
According to a military statement issued on Sunday by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni, the attack occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on Saturday.
It explained that the FGGC facility is currently being used by the Borno State Government as temporary hostel accommodation for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno.
“The terrorists reportedly gained access to the facility with the assistance of suspected collaborators in an attempt to abduct students.
“Alert security personnel 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 criminal mission and flee in confusion without achieving their objective,” the statement read.
Operation HADIN KAI said parts of the school infrastructure were damaged during the exchange of gunfire but stressed that the attack was successfully contained by troops working alongside police personnel.
“Following the operation, troops successfully rescued and evacuated all 46 students 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.
“Regrettably, some students were fatally struck by the sporadic gunfire from the terrorists during the firefight,” the statement added.
The military extended its condolences to the families of the deceased students and assured the public that efforts were ongoing to protect lives and critical public institutions across the North East.
It also said exploitation of the incident was ongoing to identify and arrest the suspected collaborators, while troops and other security agencies were pursuing the fleeing terrorists.
Operation HADIN KAI reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining pressure on terrorist groups.
“Operation HADIN KAI remains steadfast in its commitment to sustaining relentless pressure on terrorist elements, denying them freedom of action, dismantling their operational capability, and ensuring that educational institutions and other critical infrastructure across the North East remain safe and secure,” the statement added.