Families of abducted schoolchildren and other victims in Borno State have appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Babagana Zulum to intensify efforts to secure the release of their loved ones, who have remained in captivity for 100 days.
Forty-two pupils and students of Mussa Primary and Junior Day Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area were abducted on May 15, 2026, while 36 students of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, were taken on June 29 during their NECO examinations.
The families also called for urgent action to rescue 38 people abducted along the Buratai Road to Maiduguri, as well as other victims taken along the Chibok route and in other parts of the state.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the Secretary of the Hawul/Askira-Uba Elders Forum, Malla Gadzama, described the situation as one of “prolonged pain, fear and uncertainty.”
“Too much time has passed without our children. We have endured sleepless nights, fear and uncertainty, and we are still asking one question: where are our loved ones, and when are they coming home?” he said.
The families urged Tinubu and Zulum to deploy all available security resources to ensure the safe return of the victims.
“Mr President, these families have waited long enough. Governor Zulum, these are the children of Borno. Their parents are waiting, their families are suffering, their communities are hurting,” Gadzama said.
Citing the recent rescue of abducted children in Oyo State, the families urged the Federal Government to replicate the same strategy in rescuing the Borno schoolchildren.
“We have seen what is possible when government and security agencies act with urgency, but why should Borno’s children wait this long?” they asked.
While commending the Oyo rescue operation, the families insisted that victims in Borno deserved the same level of urgency and commitment.
“We are not asking for preferential treatment. We are asking for equal protection, urgency, determination and commitment to human life,” they added.
They called for the immediate rescue of all abducted victims, including those taken along the Buratai and Chibok routes and others across the state.
The families also demanded regular and transparent communication on efforts being made to secure the release of their loved ones.
They further called for stronger protection for schools, major roads and vulnerable communities, as well as a coordinated, intelligence-led national rescue operation that is properly funded and effectively executed.
This Must Not Become Normal!
The families warned against allowing prolonged abductions to become a normal occurrence or fade into routine national statistics.
“The continued captivity of these children cannot become normal,” they said.
“We cannot allow them to become statistics or fade from public attention as time passes.”
They stressed that the victims were real people whose families continued to endure pain and uncertainty.
“These are not statistics. They are children, parents, siblings, spouses and loved ones. They are human beings whose families are praying and crying every day,” they added.
Despite their anguish, the families assured other affected families of continued solidarity and support.
“You are not forgotten. Your pain is our pain. Your children are our children,” they said.
Also speaking, the lawmaker representing Hawul/Askira-Uba Federal Constituency, Midala Balami, sympathised with the families and urged the government to do everything possible to bring the schoolchildren home safely.
“Among those people that you are seeing here, you can see a father whose wife and five-month daughter were abducted. As a representative of Askira-Uba, we have seen sleepless nights. It is so devastating that most times, I lose appetite and I hardly find even my peace. This is the level of devastation we find ourselves,” he said.
Author
