…Military Authorities mourn departed students
By Ishmael Dansaki
Security forces under Operation HADIN KAI have thwarted an attempted mass abduction by suspected ISWAP terrorists at the Federal Government Girls College, FGGC, Monguno in the early hours of Sunday, rescuing all 46 students housed at the facility and preventing what authorities described as a coordinated attack on an educational institution in Borno State.
According to a statement issued by the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, the incident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on July 19, 2026, when terrorists gained entry into the FGGC premises with the alleged assistance of suspected collaborators. The college is currently being used by the Borno State Government as temporary hostel accommodation for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno.
Alerted by the breach, troops of Operation HADIN KAI, working alongside personnel of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force, MOPOL, immediately engaged the attackers. The statement said security personnel responded with “coordinated and overwhelming firepower,” effectively halting the terrorists’ advance into the hostels.
The Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force, QRF, was rapidly deployed to reinforce the school as the firefight intensified. Confronted by superior combat capability and determined resistance, the assailants were forced to abandon their mission and flee in disarray without taking any student.
“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 signed by Acting Military Information Officer, Captain Mohammed Goni, read.
Following the engagement, troops conducted a sweep of the facility and successfully evacuated all 46 students to Kinnasara Barracks in Monguno. Military medical teams carried out immediate assessments on the rescued students.
Authorities have confirmed that all 46 students are medically stable and that no student was abducted during the attack.
However, the military acknowledged casualties resulting from the exchange of fire.
“Regrettably, some students were fatally struck by the sporadic gunfire from the terrorists during the firefight,” the statement said.
Operation HADIN KAI extended its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.
Parts of the school infrastructure also sustained damage during the confrontation, but officials said the situation was quickly contained by the joint efforts of troops and police personnel.
Captain Goni said exploitation of the incident is ongoing to identify and apprehend the suspected collaborators who allegedly aided the terrorists’ entry into the facility. He added that troops and other security agencies are actively tracking the fleeing attackers across the surrounding areas of Monguno Local Government Area.
Operation HADIN KAI reassured residents and the public that all necessary measures are being taken to safeguard lives and protect critical public institutions across the North East, in close liaison with the Borno State Government.
“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,” Captain Goni stated.
The attempted attack comes amid sustained counter-terrorism operations in the North East aimed at curtailing the activities of ISWAP and Boko Haram factions. Monguno, located about 140 kilometers north of Maiduguri, has repeatedly been a target due to its strategic location and concentration of internally displaced persons and educational facilities.
Our paper gathered from security experts that attacks on schools have been a tactic used by insurgent groups to spread fear and disrupt education in the region. The swift response at FGGC Monguno is being cited by military authorities as an example of improved intelligence sharing and rapid reaction between the army and police formations in the theater.
The Borno State Government has yet to issue a separate statement on the incident, but military authorities said investigations are continuing and that further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
