Parents and community members from Mussa and Lassa communities in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State have given the Federal Government six days to rescue their abducted children, threatening to march to the Presidential Villa in Abuja if the victims remain in captivity.
The demand was made during a protest by affected parents and residents, who appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene personally and ensure the safe return of the children.
Chairman of the Mussa Parents of Abducted Children, Shuibu Umaru, said the families could no longer continue waiting without concrete action from the authorities.
He questioned why abducted children in Oyo State had been rescued while those from Mussa and Lassa remained in captivity.
“We are giving you six days to rescue our children; otherwise, we will stage a big protest at the Presidential Villa gate in Abuja,” Umaru said, according to the Nigerian Tribune.
He appealed directly to the President, saying the affected families wanted the government to intensify efforts to locate and rescue their children.
The prolonged captivity has renewed concerns among residents over the security situation in Askira/Uba, where two separate school abductions have occurred in recent months.
The first incident occurred on May 15, when suspected insurgents abducted pupils from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School. Reports have differed over the exact number of children taken. A community-generated register reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES initially identified 40 missing children, while the Borno State Government has subsequently referred to about 44 pupils.
A second attack occurred on June 29 at Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, during the National Examinations Council examination period. At least 36 students and one teacher were later reported to remain unaccounted for after the attack, according to investigations by PREMIUM TIMES.
The combined situation has placed additional pressure on education authorities in Askira/Uba. In August, the local education authority said only 56 of the area’s 113 primary schools were functioning, with insecurity contributing to the closure of schools around vulnerable communities. Officials also said about 80 students abducted during attacks in May and June remained in captivity.
Member representing Askira/Uba and Hawul Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Midala Usman Balami, joined the call for urgent action.
Balami said the children had been in captivity for more than 130 days and urged both the Federal and Borno State governments to deploy available resources towards securing their release.
He said he had previously raised the matter in the National Assembly and continued to pursue the issue, stressing that the children should be reunited with their families safely.
The lawmaker said the affected communities were seeking a coordinated response from the authorities, rather than allowing the children to remain in captivity indefinitely.
The renewed protest also follows the rescue of abducted schoolchildren in other parts of the country, which parents in Mussa and Lassa have cited as evidence that similar efforts should be intensified in their communities.
Earlier military operations in the area have resulted in some rescues. In July, troops of Operation HADIN KAI rescued six people, including two infants, who had been abducted from farms around Mussa. However, the operation did not secure the release of all the students still missing from the school attacks.
The parents’ six-day ultimatum now puts renewed focus on the government’s efforts to locate the remaining abducted children and address the wider security challenges affecting schools and communities in Askira/Uba.
As of the latest reports, there was no announcement confirming the rescue of all the children named by the parents. The exact number of victims still in captivity also remains subject to differing figures from community, government and independent reports.
