Chibok: No ISWAP school attack, no student abduction– Presidency Aide

By Precious Mark

The Presidency has dismissed viral reports claiming that terrorists attacked a school and abducted students in Kautikari community, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, describing the claims as false and misleading.

The clarification was shared in a fact-check issued by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy on Monday, citing field assessment and security reports compiled by counter-insurgency analyst Zagazola Makama.

According to the report, circulating claims alleged that Boko Haram insurgents attacked a school and abducted students in the area. However, the fact-check stated that “the claims… have been found to be entirely FALSE.”

Security sources explained that the incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. on June 13 when ISWAP terrorists attacked a hunters’ patrol base located within a disused primary school in Kautikari.

The report clarified that the facility was not functioning as a school at the time, adding that no students were present during the attack. Instead, local hunters were said to have been using the building as a temporary operational base in support of troops under Operation HADIN KAI.

The terrorists reportedly targeted the hunters’ position rather than any educational institution. Although the hunters initially resisted the attack, they later withdrew after a second wave of assault by the attackers.

Reinforcement teams from the 117 Task Force Battalion in Kwada, supported by a Quick Response Force and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, were deployed to the scene and engaged the terrorists.

Military sources confirmed that there was no student abduction, no missing persons linked to schoolchildren, and no evidence that any school was targeted while in session.

Casualties were limited to one civilian reportedly hit by a stray bullet and a CJTF member who sustained a gunshot wound to the arm.

The report further noted that the terrorists set fire to personal belongings at the hunters’ outpost before retreating.

It added that the confusion likely arose because the hunters’ base was located inside a disused school building, with photos and videos of damaged classrooms later circulated online without proper context.

Security authorities linked the response operation to ongoing efforts by Operation HADIN KAI in the North-East, stressing that misinformation around sensitive incidents can fuel unnecessary panic, especially in areas with past experiences of school kidnappings like Chibok.