The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), has condemned the barbaric attack carried out on Monday by terrorists on Government Day Secondary School, Lassa Town, in the Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
Its Public Affairs Officer, Abbas Jimoh in a statement issued Thursday said this reprehensible attack, during which a teacher was murdered and scores of innocent students and teachers were abducted, was yet another reminder that terrorism remained a grave existential threat to Nigeria and demands an uncompromising national response.
He noted that the Council is of the strong opinion that the unconscionable acts of kidnapping and murder of schoolchildren constitute a despicable crime against humanity.
Jimoh added that these unfortunate incidents have continued to reoccur is a national disgrace that strikes at the very heart of Nigeria’s future and must be stopped immediately.
He added: “The Council is greatly concerned that this latest attack comes a few weeks after the May 15 abduction of 42 pupils of Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in the same Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State and the kidnapping of 49 pupils and their teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, on the same day, all of whom remain in captivity.
“The Council is particularly disturbed that the terrorists exploited Lassa Town’s market day to infiltrate the community before launching their assault. This demonstrates that terrorists continue to adapt their methods and exploit security gaps.
“Therefore, intelligence gathering, surveillance, inter-agency cooperation, and community-based early warning mechanisms must be significantly strengthened to reduce the vulnerability of our compatriots to terrorists’ attacks.”
The council stressed that the recent Enugu State Government model of upgrading its security architecture with an AI-driven, tech-heavy model, whose key features include a newly launched Command and Control Centre, sophisticated surveillance drones and 150 AI-embedded patrol vehicles that can identify threats and track criminals instantly across the state, should be embraced and strengthened.
The Council commended the courage and professionalism of the Armed Forces, especially the troops of Operation Hadin Kai, whose swift deployment of ground and air assets resulted in the rescue of some of the abducted students and teachers.
While this achievement deserves commendation, Jimoh stressed that the operation must not cease until every abducted child and member of staff are rescued alive and reunited with their families.
The Council mourned the gallant soldier and the member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) who paid the supreme sacrifice during the rescue operation, saying their bravery and patriotism have strengthened the determination required to defeat terrorism.
The Council reiterated that terrorism has no place in Islam, adding that Boko Haram and ISWAP are enemies of Islam and humanity whose actions constitute a complete betrayal of the Qur’anic injunctions on the sanctity of human life, justice, mercy, and the pursuit of knowledge.
It maintained that those who murder innocent people, abduct children, terrorise communities, and destroy schools cannot in any way claim to represent Islam or any recognised religious tradition.