The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the terrorist attack on Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Council of Borno State, describing it as a damning indictment of Nigeria’s failing security architecture.
The attack, which occurred during the conduct of the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination, reportedly left a teacher dead, another injured, and an unspecified number of students abducted by armed assailants.

Reacting to the incident, HURIWA, through its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the latest assault was not merely another security breach but a tragic reminder that terrorists, insurgents, bandits and other non-state actors continue to operate with alarming audacity despite repeated assurances by government officials that insecurity is being brought under control.

The group questioned the effectiveness of the Federal Government’s current security strategy, asking President Bola Tinubu to urgently overhaul the nation’s security architecture.
“HURIWA is compelled to ask the question that millions of Nigerians are asking today: How many more schoolchildren must be kidnapped, killed, traumatised or forced out of classrooms before the Federal Government admits that the current security strategy has failed and requires urgent restructuring? How many more teachers must die? How many more communities must be overrun? How many more farmers must be prevented from cultivating their lands? How many more passengers must be abducted on highways? How many more soldiers must lose their lives battling terrorists who appear increasingly emboldened?” the group asked.

According to HURIWA, the attack on students writing public examinations represents a direct assault on Nigeria’s future, education system and national development, warning that repeated attacks on schools threaten to reverse decades of progress in educational advancement.

The association expressed particular concern that the attack occurred in Borno State, where government authorities have repeatedly claimed significant progress in the fight against insurgency.

“If terrorists can still invade schools, kill educators and abduct students in broad daylight in a state that has remained the epicentre of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency efforts for over a decade, then serious questions must be asked about the effectiveness of the current security leadership,” it stated.

HURIWA called on President Tinubu to immediately review the performance of the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, heads of intelligence agencies and other senior security officials, insisting that those found incapable of effectively discharging their responsibilities should be relieved of their appointments.

“The continued retention of officials who have failed to deliver meaningful and sustainable improvements in national security undermines public confidence and sends the wrong signal that there are no consequences for institutional failure. No serious nation rewards persistent failure with continued tenure,” the group said.

The association noted that insecurity has continued to spread across several parts of the country, with communities under siege, kidnapping becoming widespread, farmers unable to access their lands and economic activities severely disrupted.

It stressed that security should not be measured by official briefings or public relations campaigns but by the ability of citizens to live, travel, work and send their children to school without fear.

HURIWA further demanded the immediate deployment of military, intelligence and law enforcement personnel to rescue the abducted students and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
The group also called for a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, including possible intelligence failures, operational lapses or negligence by security agencies charged with protecting vulnerable communities and educational institutions.

In addition, it urged the Federal Government to establish a nationwide security framework dedicated to protecting schools, examination centres and other educational institutions, particularly in areas facing persistent security threats.

“Nigerians are tired of condolences without action. Nigerians are tired of promises without results. The blood of the slain teacher demands justice, while the anguish of the abducted students demands urgent action,” HURIWA stated.

The association urged President Tinubu to demonstrate decisive leadership by addressing institutional complacency and operational failures within the nation’s security system, insisting that the time for excuses has passed.

“Nigeria’s children deserve classrooms, not battlefields. Nigeria’s teachers deserve protection, not death sentences. Nigeria’s citizens deserve security, not endless promises,” it added.