Disguised Boko Haram Invade Town 10 Days after TruthNigeria Alert
Ethnic Leader Accuses Military of Complicity
By Luka Binniyat and Suleman Ayuba
(Maiduguri) – Boko Haram terrorists have kidnapped an unconfirmed number of students and market women from Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, Southern Borno, Northeast Nigeria, on a busy market day, Monday, June 29, 2026, according to Sahara Reporters and other local sources.
The kidnapping comes barely 10 days after TruthNigeria raised a security alert on June 19, 2026, warning of planned spectacular attacks on communities in Southern Borno and urging security authorities to remain vigilant.
According to Sahara Reporters, suspected Boko Haram terrorists on Monday stormed Lassa town in Askira/Uba Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, abducting students sitting for the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations (the final examinations for graduating high school students) as well as several teachers, while killing at least one teacher.
“The attack occurred on a busy market day, throwing the community into chaos as heavily armed insurgents, said to be dressed in military camouflage and riding motorcycles, reportedly swept through the town unchallenged,” the report stated.
Complicity of Local Garrison?
The outspoken President of the Borno South Youths Alliance (BOSYA), Samaila Ibrahim Kaigama, accused the military of complacency.
“Attackers came unopposed, dressed in Forest Guards and Military uniform,” he said in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Monday, June 29, 2026.
“They divided themselves into two groups.
“The first group attacked and abducted some market women who were doing business and shot a trader selling used clothes,” he wrote.
“The second group went to Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, and abducted students who were writing an examination, killed a teacher, and fatally shot another,” he added.
Kaigama questioned how the terrorists could have gained such easy access to both the school and the market, carried out their operation, and departed without any military engagement.
How Boko Haram Entered Lassa in Disguise
“They came around 8:30 a.m. this morning (Monday), riding several motorcycles that looked exactly like those used by the military,” a source from Lassa, a town of about 6,000 people with a predominantly Christian population, told TruthNigeria.
“They also came in four open Hilux trucks painted in Forest Guards colours, with the terrorists wearing both military and Forest Guards uniforms while riding the motorcycles and inside the Hilux vehicles,” he said.
According to the source, soldiers manning the main checkpoint at the entrance to the town opened the gate for the disguised terrorists, believing they were genuine security personnel.
Corroborating Kaigama’s account, he said that even after the terrorists began shooting, the military made no attempt to intervene, leaving only the volunteer civilian guards, popularly known as “vigilantes,” to confront the attackers.
Vigilantes Hailed as Heroes
“The vigilantes, despite carrying far inferior weapons than those used by the terrorists, managed to keep the kidnappers distracted, giving many of the women and students an opportunity to escape,” the source said.
Mr. Usman Bitrus, a Christian cleric in Lassa who responded to inquiries from TruthNigeria by telephone, gave a different account of why the military failed to repel the attackers.
Did Local Garrison Collude with Attackers?
Bitrus alleged that troops stationed in Lassa had departed for nearby Uba town shortly before the terrorists arrived.
“The departure of the soldiers and the arrival of the terrorists were not a coincidence. The terrorists exploited the temporary absence of the troops to carry out the attack,” he insisted.
“It is not new in Southern Borno for the military to pull out, after which the terrorists move in, operate freely and leave. Then the army returns and starts chasing shadows,” he alleged.
His allegations could not be independently verified.
Seven Escape Under Unclear Circumstances
Before this report went to press, BOSYA posted a video on its Facebook page showing jubilant residents on a street, apparently in Lassa, celebrating what the group described as the rescue of six abducted women and one male student.
“BOSYA commend the gallantry and effort of our vigilante in Lassa and Uba Askira ward for chasing after the terrorists and rescuing women and a male student,” the group wrote.
“We expect Borno state and the Federal Government to commend them and motivate them with rewards,” the group added.
Competing Account: Hostages Escaped on their Own
Engineer Amos Bapka, a well-known politician from Lassa, however, gave a different version of events.
Speaking to TruthNigeria from Lassa, Bapka said the seven persons escaped on their own and were not rescued by either the vigilantes or the military.
He said those who escaped included a teacher from the school.
“They are courageous people who braved the odds and made daring escapes from the fleeing terrorists who were ferrying away their colleagues and other women,” he said.
“The vigilantes and the military merely picked them up on their way back to Lassa,” he added.
However, Bapke did not explain where the escapees broke free from, how they managed to free themselves, or how far the terrorists had taken them before their escape.
The exact number of those abducted remained unclear at the time of filing this report, with different sources giving varying estimates.
Historic Christian Community Targeted
Lassa is a historic community, according to the Church of the Brethren Mission.
“It became internationally known in 1969 after the first recorded outbreak of Lassa fever, a viral disease later named after the community,” the Church states.
Beyond its medical history, Lassa is renowned for its rich Christian heritage.
The Church of the Brethren established a mission station there in 1928, followed by schools, churches, and a mission hospital that significantly improved education and healthcare in the area.
The first school opened in 1929, making Lassa one of the earliest centres of Christian missionary work, education, and medical services in northeastern Nigeria. The community has since remained an important Christian stronghold in Southern Borno despite decades of insurgency and repeated attacks by Boko Haram.
At the time of filing this report, the Borno State Commissioner for Information, Prof. Usman Tar, had not responded to inquiries from our correspondent. Likewise, the Nigerian military headquarters had yet to issue an official statement on the attack.
Luka Binniyat writes for TruthNigeria from Kaduna, while Suleman Ayuba contributes from Maiduguri.
