78 Abducted Borno Pupils: Our 143 Days Of Waiting, Frustration – Parents

*** Emir, Rep beg federal govt, Borno to rescue abductees* **

Parents of 78 schoolchildren abducted in separate attacks in Borno State have expressed frustration over the continued captivity of their children, saying 143 days after the first incident, they have received little information about efforts to secure their release.

he parents said the prolonged captivity had subjected their families to anguish, anxiety and sleepless nights, while also creating fear among parents about sending their children to school.

The 78 children were abducted in two separate incidents. Forty-two pupils were taken from Musa Primary and Junior Secondary School on May 15, while 36 students of Government Secondary School, Lassa, were abducted on June 29 in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of the state.

Musa Chinda Buba, whose daughter is among the 42 pupils abducted from Musa School, said the families had endured months of trauma without seeing their children.

“Every time we meet government officials, they tell us to be patient, that efforts are ongoing. But about 143 days later, we have not seen our children. They are just dribbling us,” he said.

Buba said several parents, particularly mothers, had fallen ill because of depression and anxiety over the fate of their children.

He also claimed that some pregnant women had suffered miscarriages because of the trauma, while many men had been unable to go to their farms.

“We are appealing to Governor Babagana Zulum and President Tinubu to have mercy on us and bring back our children. These children went to seek knowledge; they should not be left to suffer in the hands of abductors,” he said.

He urged the Borno State Government to provide parents with regular and clear information about rescue efforts rather than leaving them in the dark.

According to him, teachers have been visiting homes to encourage parents to return their children to school, but the abductions have heightened fears within the communities.

Buba said some of the abducted children were between two and four years old and could not escape when the attackers stormed the school.

He said the abductors fled with the children on motorcycles, adding that his son, who was in the nursery section, turned two last month while still in captivity.

Similarly, Ibrahim Malum Bura, whose daughter, Esther Malum Bura, an SS2 student, was among the Lassa abductees, said the government had not briefed the families on the whereabouts of their children.

He said parents of the Lassa pupils were planning to protest at the Borno State Government House to demand urgent action.

“We, the parents of the abducted students from Lassa, are planning to take our protest to the State Government for the rescue of our children.

“We are in pain and trauma. I don’t know how to describe our situation. Everyone is looking forward to the day these children are rescued. It has been about four months now that they have remained in captivity,” Bura said.

He added that his brother, Ijei Wampana, also had two children, aged 16 and 18, among the abducted students. They are in SS1 and SS2, respectively.

Six-day Ultimatum Expires

The parents and community members had given the Federal Government a six-day ultimatum last week to rescue the 78 children, threatening to stage a protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja if the children were not released.

The ultimatum had since expired without the children being rescued, heightening the anxiety of the affected families.

The parents and community members had defied heavy rainfall in Mussa community, Askira-Uba, to stage a protest over the continued captivity of the children.

Chairman of the Mussa and Lassa Parents of Abductees, Ishaku Wabba, said the parents were in anguish because they had received no concrete information about their children.

He also questioned why abducted children in Oyo State were rescued while those from Borno remained in captivity.

“Why did you rescue the Oyo abducted children and neglect ours? We, too, are Nigerians. We are citizens of this country. The President needs to do everything possible to rescue our children.

“We are giving you six days to rescue our children; otherwise, we will stage a big protest at the Presidential Villa gate in Abuja. It is either we are killed, or we survive,” he said.

Maria Timothy, mother of one of the abducted students, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intensify efforts to secure the safe return of the children.

“We are crying to the President. We are citizens of Nigeria; we are not foreigners. Government should ensure that our children abducted for so long now are quickly rescued from their captors,” she said.

The lawmaker representing Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency, Hon. Midala Usman Balami, urged the federal and Borno State governments to pool resources and intelligence towards securing the children’s release.

He also called for the deployment of additional security personnel to intensify surveillance and protect Mussa, Lassa, Dille, Ngulde, and other communities near the Sambisa Forest.

“We are calling on the federal government and state government to put resources and intelligence together to rescue the abducted schoolchildren. We need to deploy more security so that they can intensify the surveillance and protection of Askira-Uba communities that are in proximity to the Sambisa Forest,” Balami said.

The Emir of Uba, Ali Samaila Mamza II, also appealed to the federal, Borno State and local governments, as well as the media, to collaborate towards the safe return of the schoolchildren and other captives.

The communities further urged President Tinubu to intervene urgently to secure the children’s safe return.

FG, Borno Working To Rescue Children – Zulum

Responding to the concerns, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum said the Federal and Borno State governments were working together to secure the safe rescue of the abducted schoolchildren.

Zulum spoke during a meeting with parents at the Government House in Maiduguri, after the families called for urgent action.

The governor expressed sympathy with the affected families and said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was personally committed to ensuring the safe return of the children.

He assured the parents that the federal government, the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Borno State Government would do everything possible to secure their release.

EXPLAINER

1. 143 Days In Captivity

Seventy-eight pupils abducted in separate attacks in Borno have remained in captivity for 143 days, deepening parents’ anguish.

2. Two Separate Abductions

Forty-two pupils were abducted from Musa School on May 15, while 36 students were taken from Lassa on June 29.

3. Parents Demand Action

Parents say they have received little concrete information and are demanding urgent government action to secure their children’s release.

**4. Ultimatum Expires **

A six-day ultimatum issued by parents expired without the children being rescued, prompting renewed threats of protests in Abuja.

5. Government Response

Governor Zulum says federal and state authorities, alongside the military, are working together to secure the children’s safe return.