Recent reports claiming that students were abducted from a school in the Kautikari community of Borno State are completely false, according to security consultant and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama. He issued a clarification on Sunday, stating that a wave of alarming reports on social media and online platforms had claimed Boko Haram insurgents attacked a school and abducted students in Kautikari, Chibok Local Government Area.
Makama noted that these claims were amplified by emotional references to the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls' abduction, causing anxiety among Nigerians. However, a detailed fact-check based on field sources and video evidence revealed the claims to be entirely false.
What Really Happened During the ISWAP Raid
According to Makama, the incident occurred at about 7:30 p.m. on June 13, 2026, when ISWAP terrorists attacked a hunters' patrol base located within the premises of a disused primary school in Kautikari. The facility was not functioning as a school at the time, and no students were present. Local hunters had established a patrol outpost there, using some classrooms as temporary accommodation and operational shelters while supporting troops of Operation HADIN KAI.
The terrorists specifically targeted the hunters' base. Initial resistance by the hunters repelled the first assault, but the terrorists regrouped in larger numbers and launched a second attack, forcing the hunters to temporarily withdraw after running low on ammunition.
Military sources said reinforcement teams, comprising troops of the 117 Task Force Battalion from Kwada, a Quick Response Force, local hunters, and vigilante personnel, rapidly mobilised and engaged the terrorists. The coordinated response overwhelmed the attackers and forced them to retreat.
No Student Was Abducted
Contrary to viral claims, there is no evidence that any student was abducted. Operational reports from the scene recorded no missing students, and there were no reports of schoolchildren being taken away. Security sources confirmed that accountability checks found no cases of student abduction.
The only confirmed casualties were one civilian struck by a stray bullet and one member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) who sustained a gunshot wound to the arm. The terrorists set fire to clothing and personal belongings of the hunters, but no troops were killed or injured.
Video footage from the aftermath shows an affected hunter pointing to damaged facilities and burnt belongings, explaining that the location served as their accommodation and operational base. The footage supports military accounts that the target was a hunters' outpost, not an occupied school.
Makama said the confusion likely arose because the hunters' base was situated within a primary school building. Photographs and videos showing damaged classrooms were circulated online without context, leading to incorrect conclusions. He lamented the rapid spread of misinformation that failed basic verification standards.
