At least 36 students and one staff member abducted ​by gunmen from a ‌secondary school in Lassa in northeast Nigeria remain in captivity, ​while eight others have ​been rescued, a state official ⁠said on Tuesday.

The attack on ​Monday targeted students in ​Government Day Secondary School who were sitting exams in the town in ​Borno state, a region ​that has faced years of violence ‌by ⁠jihadist groups.

Borno Commissioner for Education Lawan Abba Wakilbe told reporters in Lassa that those ​still ​being ⁠held include 25 female students, 11 male students ​and one staff ​member. ⁠Eight people, including the school’s vice principal, have been freed, ⁠he ​said.

REUTERS