Troops of the North-East Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have foiled an attempted abduction by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Monguno, Borno State, rescuing 46 students.
The military said some students were killed during the operation after being caught in sporadic gunfire exchanged between troops and the attackers.
Acting Media Information Officer of OPHK, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement, saying the rescued students had undergone medical assessment and received necessary care.
“All rescued students have been confirmed medically stable and no student was abducted. Regrettably, some students were fatally struck by the sporadic gunfire from the terrorists during the firefight,” he said.
According to Goni, the attack occurred at about 1:30am on Sunday, 19 July 2026, when ISWAP terrorists attempted a mass abduction at the facility.
He said the operation was carried out in collaboration with personnel of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (MOPOL), adding that the attackers gained access to the premises with the assistance of suspected collaborators.
“The ground troops successfully foiled an attempted mass abduction by ISWAP terrorists at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Monguno,” he said.
Goni explained that the school facility was being used temporarily by the Borno State Government as hostel accommodation for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno.
He said security personnel responded immediately after detecting the attack and engaged the terrorists with coordinated firepower, preventing their advance until reinforcements from Sector 3 and a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) arrived.
“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,” he added.
The military spokesperson said parts of the school infrastructure were damaged during the confrontation, but the attack was successfully contained by troops working alongside personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.
He added that the rescued students were evacuated to Kinnasara Barracks in Monguno, where they received further medical attention and support.
Operation Hadin Kai expressed condolences to the families of those killed and assured residents that measures were being taken to protect communities and critical public institutions across the North-East in collaboration with the Borno State Government.
Goni said efforts were ongoing to identify and arrest suspected collaborators, while troops and other security agencies continued to track the fleeing terrorists.
