Suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists have reportedly set fire to a primary school and a secondary school in Kautikari village, located in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.
The latest attack comes amid growing concerns over insecurity in parts of the state, particularly following the abduction of pupils from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba, who were reportedly taken by armed groups and have remained missing for nearly a month.
According to security sources, the attackers stormed Kautikari at about 7 p.m. on Saturday, causing panic among residents and forcing many to flee into nearby bushes for safety.
“No casualty so far, but residents were forced to flee into the bush for safety,” a security source disclosed.
A resident of the community, who spoke on the incident, expressed shock over the destruction of the educational facilities, noting that previous attacks on the village did not involve damage to public infrastructure.
“The terrorists attacked this village some months ago, but they did not destroy any public or private property. I wonder why they set ablaze the Primary School and Day Secondary School. Such attacks are unusual,” the resident said.
Kautikari, like several communities in southern Borno, has experienced repeated attacks by insurgent groups over the years, with residents often facing displacement and disruption to daily life.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Borno State Police Command were unsuccessful as calls made to the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, were not answered as of the time of filing this report.
The incident has further heightened concerns about the safety of schools and communities in the region as security agencies continue efforts to curb insurgent activities across the state.