Parents protest as Borno children spend 130 days in captivity

P****arents and community members of Mussa and Lassa in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State on Monday threatened to storm the Presidential Villa in Abuja within six days if their abducted children are not rescued from Boko Haram captivity.

The distressed families, whose children have now spent over 130 days in the hands of insurgents, expressed their frustrations during a protest over the government’s perceived inaction in Askira Uba.

The children were seized during a wave of abductions that began on May 15, 2026.

According to the parents and school authorities, the mass kidnapping includes 44 children from Mussa Ward and 36 from Lassa schools.

The Borno children were kidnapped on the same day that terrorists abducted more than 40 students and teachers in Oriire LGA of Oyo State. The Oyo victims regained their freedom after spending 56 days in captivity.

The chairman of the Borno pupils’ parents, Ishaku Suya, who led the protest, issued an emotional appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct security agencies to secure the release of the children.

“I’m making this loudest call to Mr President that we, the parents of the abducted children of Mussa and Lassa, will take over the streets of the presidential villa if he doesn’t rescue our children as he rescued the Oyo children. You should either kill us, leave us alive, or rescue our children,” he said

Another grieving mother, Josphin Yohanna, lamented the disparity in the government’s response to the abduction of the school children in different regions.

She said the swift rescue of abducted children in Oyo State was clear proof that the Federal Government possesses the operational capacity to act decisively.

“Why shouldn’t the president extend similar urgency to our children in the northeast? We are equally Nigerians,” she said.

The acting district head of Lassa, Wadzani Hammatu, expressed frustration over the abduction of the children whom he described as mostly toddlers between the ages of 1 and 3.

“We are pleading with the government to rescue our children because the issue is becoming unbearable. Only God will help us, but the government should try,” he said.

The Emir of Uba, Ali Samaila Mamza, said they left everything in the hands of God, but appealed to the federal, state and local governments to put more effort into ensuring the safe return of the children.

Dr Midala Usman Balami, the House of Representatives member representing Askira/Uba and Hawul Federal Constituency, also condemned the prolonged silence and lack of concrete action, noting that the victims have suffered for more than four months.

“A week back, I organised a press conference with the intention of bringing the issue to the limelight, and we are talking with one voice: rescue our children,” Balami said.

He revealed that he had already moved a motion regarding the tragedy in the National Assembly and pledged to follow up vigorously.

Balami urged both the Federal and Borno State governments to deploy all available security resources, emphasising that the situation concerns the lives of innocent citizens who have suffered immensely in the state.

Another parent, Buba, said parents have heard enough from the government and can no longer remain silent.

“Our children were abducted at the same time as those of Oyo, but the Oyo children were rescued because they defied the government’s call to be patient, but ours remain in captivity,” he said.

“No going back on the six-day ultimatum. We were treated like foreigners in our own country for being law-abiding. Why?” he asked.

As of press time, the Presidency has yet to issue an official response to the ultimatum.

However, security analysts note that a mass protest by displaced and aggrieved parents at the seat of government in Abuja would present a significant security and political challenge for the administration.

One of the analysts, Maj-Gen Umar I. Mohammed (rtd.), in a chat with Daily Trust, called on the Federal Government to demonstrate the same level of urgency, zeal, and commitment to crisis-affected communities in Borno State as it has shown in the rescue of the school children in Oyo State.

He emphasised that safeguarding the welfare and security of all citizens remains the primary and fundamental responsibility of any government.

While acknowledging the ongoing efforts of security agencies and the administration, Mohammed insisted that all Nigerians must be treated equally during crises, regardless of geographic location or demographics.

“I acknowledge that the government is doing its best, but I insist that the same attention, the same commitment should be given to where there is a crisis anywhere, irrespective of whoever is involved,” he said.

The security expert stressed that the government must project its full capacity whenever the safety of Nigerians is threatened, serving as a unified protector for every citizen across the nation’s geopolitical zones.

He urged authorities to replicate the decisive actions taken in Oyo State to address ongoing security challenges in the North, particularly in Borno State.

“I solemnly advise the government to show the same level of commitment, the same level of zeal, and the same level of interest in what happens in all parts of the country,” he added.

He called on northern communities to be more proactive, vocal, and unified in demanding accountability and condemning atrocities.

Commuters stranded as residents protest renewed attacks in Niger

Meanwhile, residents of farming communities in Borgu and Agwara local government areas of Niger State blocked the Mokwa-New Bussa Road on Monday to protest persistent attacks on their communities by terrorists.

The protest was led by the Borgu Youth Federation, with members of several associations in Borgu Kingdom, including members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), participating.

Daily Trust gathered that the protesters blocked the road at the Bussa roundabout, an entry point to the Borgu Kingdom, as early as 5.30 am, despite the rain.

Commuters travelling to New Bussa and Agwara from the Mokwa axis were reportedly stranded.

Speaking with Daily Trust on the telephone, Aliyu Abdulmajeed, the Auditor of the Borgu Youth Federation, said the protest was triggered by an alleged comment by the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, that only 30 people were kidnapped during the attacks on Jummaat Mosques in Dekara and three other communities.

He said that while the five hundred worshippers had remained in captivity for the past three weeks, attacks had continued, with many communities being deserted.

“Two LGAs are participating in this protest, Borgu and Agwara LGAs. We are not happy with the ongoing security challenges in these two LGAs.

“We have been in this problem for the past three years. Because the government has failed to take action, attacks by terrorists have degenerated into tribal clashes, and the government is watching people die daily.

“You recall the attacks on Dekara and other villages, where about 500 people were kidnapped. These people are still in captivity.

“Last week, 30 of these people were slaughtered and beheaded, and relatives were asked to go and pick up the bodies.

“The dead bodies were evacuated from where they were dumped and buried. We have raised our concerns before appropriate authorities several times, including the LG chairman.

“Yesterday, we heard the governor saying that only 30 people were kidnapped. The governor does not get the right information about happenings in our communities. Who informed the governor that only 30 people were kidnapped?” he said.

He said insecurity that had degenerated into tribal clashes between farmers and herders in Agwara LGA had claimed eight lives in the last two weeks, and hundreds have been displaced.

The Auditor added that an attack on the Guchana community in Borgu LGA on Saturday and Sunday left 30 vigilantes injured.

“These vigilantes cannot even access a modern healthcare facility for treatment. They are currently at various traditional medicine healers for treatment. There is no government presence in that area. Even a hospital is not available in that area,” he said.

The Chairman of Borgu LGA in Niger State, Mohammed Nasir Abdullahi, told our correspondent last week via telephone that adequate security personnel had been deployed to the local government area to forestall further terrorist attacks on local communities.

He said the deployment followed an appeal to the Federal Government by the Niger State government after terrorists attacked Jumaat mosques in Dekara, Gbezhin, Sabon-Gida, and Kpenya on August 21, 2026, abducting an unspecified number of worshippers.

The attackers later killed 30 of the abductees.