Families of pupils abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State have appealed to the Federal Government to intensify efforts to secure the release of their children, saying they have been left in uncertainty nearly two months after the incident.
The appeal followed the recent rescue of teachers and pupils abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, with the affected Borno families urging authorities to replicate the same level of commitment in rescuing their children.
The pupils and teachers in both Borno and Oyo were kidnapped on May 15, 2026. More than 40 pupils and teachers were reportedly taken from the Mussa school, including toddlers, while no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Chairman of the parents' committee, Ishaku Suya, said the families had endured weeks of fear and anxiety without receiving any meaningful update on the fate of the victims.
He said the only government official who visited the community after the abduction was the Borno State Commissioner for Education, who assured them that efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims.
"We were encouraged by the successful rescue of the Oyo pupils and teachers, but we are pleading with the government not to forget our own children. We deserve the same commitment because they are Nigerians too," Suya said.
Another parent, Sale Buba, lamented that the prolonged silence over the abduction had left the affected families traumatised, saying they had no information about where the children were being held or the conditions they were facing.
Similarly, Ishaku Joe said the absence of updates had deepened the anguish of parents, who remained uncertain whether the abducted pupils were alive or receiving adequate care in captivity.
Another parent, identified simply as James, said the families felt abandoned despite the government's constitutional responsibility to protect citizens.
Meanwhile, a coalition of youths and students staged a peaceful protest in Maiduguri, calling on the Federal Government to step up efforts to rescue the abducted pupils from Mussa, Lassa and other affected communities.
Addressing the protesters, the convener, Suleiman Muhammed, praised security agencies for rescuing the Oyo victims but urged the authorities to extend similar operations to Borno.
He also called for increased investment in youth employment and warned against paying ransom to kidnappers, arguing that such payments encourage further abductions.
Another protester, Muhammed Mustapha, questioned why the Borno victims had attracted less national attention despite being kidnapped on the same day as those rescued in Oyo.
He urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with useful information while calling on the government to provide security personnel with the resources needed to tackle insurgency in the North-East.
Also reacting, the Christian Association of Nigeria called on the Federal Government and security agencies not to relent in efforts to rescue victims of abduction across the country.
In a statement on Sunday, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, welcomed the successful rescue of the Oyo pupils and teachers, commending President Bola Tinubu, security agencies, intelligence operatives, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, Amotekun Corps, local hunters and vigilantes for their roles in the operation.
Okoh also praised Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde for supporting the affected families and promising rehabilitation for the rescued victims.
He, however, stressed that families in Borno, Niger and other states whose loved ones remained in captivity deserved equal attention, urging authorities to sustain rescue efforts nationwide.
"Our compassion must never become selective, and every Nigerian held captive deserves the same urgency and commitment regardless of where the abduction occurred," he said.
The CAN president further urged governments, faith-based organisations and humanitarian agencies to provide medical care, counselling and psychosocial support for rescued victims and their families, while emphasising that schools must remain safe environments for learning rather than targets for criminal attacks.
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