Suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province fighters have set ablaze a primary school and a secondary school in Kautikari village, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.
The latest attack comes amid growing concerns over insecurity in parts of the state, weeks after pupils of Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba were reportedly abducted and remained unaccounted for.
Security sources disclosed that the insurgents stormed Kautikari at about 7 p.m. on Saturday, forcing residents to flee their homes and seek refuge in nearby bushes.
Although no deaths or injuries were recorded during the attack, the destruction of educational facilities has heightened fears among residents of the community, which has experienced repeated insurgent incursions over the years.
A security source said residents abandoned the area as the attackers moved through the village, setting the schools on fire.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed shock over the destruction, noting that previous attacks on the community did not target public infrastructure.
According to him, the village had been attacked months earlier, but the assailants neither destroyed government facilities nor private property.
He described the burning of the primary and secondary schools as unusual and worrying, given the importance of the institutions to the community.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Borno State Police Command proved unsuccessful, as calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, could not be completed as of the time of filing this report.
Kautikari, located in Chibok, has remained vulnerable to attacks by insurgent groups despite ongoing military operations aimed at restoring security across parts of the North-East.