Suspected Boko Haram militants have launched an attack on a community in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, killing one resident and burning parts of a secondary school, according to local authorities and security officials on Sunday.
The incident took place on Saturday evening in Kautikari village, a settlement in Chibok that drew global attention after Boko Haram abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in 2014.
The Education Secretary of Chibok Local Government Area, Malah Kyari, said the attackers focused on the junior secondary section of Government Day Secondary School in the community.
“I can confirm that the insurgents attacked the Kautikari community yesterday, killed one person, and set ablaze one block containing five classrooms and an office at Kautikari JSS,” Kyari said.
The spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, also confirmed the attack, stating that security operatives successfully pushed back the assailants and prevented additional damage.
“They attacked Kautikari village, where they burnt two classrooms at Government Day Secondary School and killed one person, a man,” Daso said.
“The suspected insurgents faced strong resistance from joint security forces, averting further losses. As of now, the area is calm and intensive patrols are ongoing.”
Officials provided varying reports regarding the scale of destruction at the school, with education authorities stating that a block containing five classrooms and an office was affected, while police indicated that two classrooms were damaged.
The Zonal Inspector for Local Government and Emirate Affairs overseeing Bama, Chibok, Gwoza, Askira/Uba and Damboa, Samaila Manza, said authorities were still assessing the full impact of the attack.
“I was informed that terrorists attacked the village, but we have not verified the actual extent of the damage they caused,” he said.
Residents reported that the gunmen arrived in large numbers on motorcycles and appeared determined to destroy the school and its infrastructure.
A local source, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said many villagers fled the area as the attack unfolded.
“They entered Kautikari on motorcycles and targeted the school. It was during their entry into the community that a man was killed,” the source said.
