MORE than 100 days after suspected terrorists abducted schoolchildren from Mussa community in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, dozens of the children remain missing, while their families continue to await government-backed efforts to secure their release.
The children were taken on May 15, 2026, from Mussa Central Primary School, a community close to the Sambisa Forest, an area long associated with Boko Haram and its splinter groups.
The children were abducted on the same day dozens of schoolchildren were kidnapped by armed men in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The Oyo schoolchildren were released on July 10 after spending 56 days in captivity.
The Federal Government has put the number of abducted Borno children at 44. The state Governor Babagana Zulum reiterated the figure on August 21 when he met with the children’s parents at the Government House in Maiduguri, noting that President Bola Tinubu had directed security agencies to ensure their rescue.
As of Wednesday, August 26, the children have spent 103 days in captivity.
The attack
The attack occurred on the morning of May 15. Initial reports put the number of abducted children at about 42, while the Emir of Uba later told the Federal Information Centre that 48 people were initially taken from Mussa, including 37 primary school pupils, six secondary school students and five other residents.
The attackers reportedly arrived on motorcycles and whisked the children away from the community. Mussa’s proximity to the Sambisa Forest has heightened fears about the children’s safety and the ability of security forces to locate them.
Four days after the abduction, Zulum visited Uba and met the children’s parents. He said the military and other security agencies had been deployed and that efforts were being intensified to secure the children’s release.
More than three months later, the children remain their captors.
Families demand answers
The ICIR reports that the prolonged captivity has pushed the families to publicly demand action. On August 21, relatives and community leaders held a press conference at the National Assembly in Abuja to mark 100 days since the abduction.
They appealed to Tinubu and Zulum to intensify efforts to rescue the children.
The families also raised concerns about other victims of insecurity in the area, including 36 students abducted from Government Day Secondary School in Lassa on June 29 while sitting for their National Examinations Council examinations.
On August 20, parents of the Mussa children also protested in Uba, demanding government intervention.
Reports indicated that the families were frustrated by the lack of progress nearly 100 days after the children were taken.
At a press conference on Friday, August 20, the Secretary of the Hawul/Askira-Uba Elders Forum, Malla Gadzama, described the situation as one marked by prolonged pain, fear and uncertainty.
Pointing to the recent rescue of abducted schoolchildren in Oyo State, the families urged the Federal Government to apply similar urgency and coordination to secure the release of the Borno students.
They said the Oyo operation demonstrated that abducted children could be rescued when the government and security agencies act decisively, questioning why the Borno children had remained in captivity for so long.
While welcoming the successful Oyo rescue, the families said victims in Borno should receive the same level of attention and commitment, stressing that their demand was not for preferential treatment.
Government says rescue efforts ongoing
The latest public assurance from the Borno government came after the August 21 meeting between Zulum and the parents.
According to the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Zulum said the Federal Government and Borno State Government were working closely to secure the children’s safe rescue.
He also said Tinubu had directed security agencies to rescue the children.
Another school abduction
The Mussa case has also been followed by another major school abduction in Borno. On June 29, gunmen attacked Government Day Secondary School in Lassa while students were taking their NECO examinations.
The spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, while providing an update on the incident, said security operatives confronted the attackers, preventing a larger-scale abduction.
“Around 9 a.m. in the morning, ISWAP attacked Lassa Day Secondary School. They shot sporadically. An unspecified number of students have been abducted.
“Security forces confronted them. For now, we have an unspecified number of students who were abducted. The CP deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba. They are currently combing the bush,” Daso said.
At least 37 students were abducted and two teachers were killed, according to reports cited by community representatives.
The two incidents left about 81 schoolchildren from Askira-Uba communities reportedly missing in separate attacks within weeks.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M