Families of schoolchildren abducted in Borno State have renewed their desperate appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Babagana Zulum, urging the government to intensify efforts to secure the safe return of their children.
The families say they have endured months of fear, sleepless nights and painful uncertainty since the children were taken from their communities during separate attacks by suspected terrorists.
For the affected parents, the situation has become increasingly unbearable as they continue to wait for reliable information about the whereabouts and condition of their children.
One of the major incidents occurred in Mussa community, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, where pupils and students were reportedly abducted after suspected terrorists attacked the area.
The affected community is located close to the Sambisa Forest, a vast area that has historically been associated with terrorist activities in the North-East.
At least 42 children were initially reported missing following the attack on Mussa Primary and Junior Day Secondary School on May 15, 2026.
The incident sent shockwaves through the community, particularly because the victims were children who had been attending school before the attackers arrived.
Parents who had expected their children to return home after school were instead confronted with the devastating news that they had been taken away.
The abduction has left families struggling to cope with the emotional trauma.
For many of the parents, the uncertainty is the most painful part of the ordeal.
They do not know exactly where their children are being held, the conditions under which they are being kept or when they will be able to see them again.
The families have therefore called on President Tinubu to make the rescue of the children a priority and deploy every necessary resource towards bringing them home safely.
Another disturbing incident occurred in Lassa, also in Askira-Uba Local Government Area, where suspected terrorists attacked Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, during an examination.
The attackers reportedly killed two teachers and abducted several students.
At least 36 students were initially reported missing following the attack.
Among those identified were students including Esther Mbula, 19, Lucy Emmanuel, 16, Martha Wajau and Abori Ujulu.
The incident generated widespread anger within the community, with parents and youths demanding immediate action from the authorities.
The situation became particularly tense when government officials visited the community to sympathise with the affected families.
Angry youths reportedly confronted the delegation and demanded concrete action to secure the release of the students.
The reaction reflected the growing frustration among residents who believe that the security situation requires urgent and decisive intervention.
For the families, the issue is no longer simply about government statements.
They want to see concrete efforts aimed at locating the children and bringing them back alive.
The repeated abductions have also raised serious concerns about the safety of schools in vulnerable parts of Borno State.
Parents are increasingly worried about sending their children to school when educational institutions can become targets for armed groups.
The fear is particularly strong in communities located close to forests and other difficult terrain where security forces may face challenges responding quickly to attacks.
Schools are supposed to provide children with a safe environment to learn and develop.
When students are abducted from classrooms or school premises, the consequences go far beyond the immediate victims.
Parents may withdraw their children from school, teachers may become afraid to work in affected areas and entire communities can lose confidence in the education system.
The long-term consequences can be severe for children who already live in communities affected by years of conflict.
The Borno abductions have therefore become both a security crisis and an education crisis.
The families are calling for stronger protection around schools, particularly those located in areas considered vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
They want greater surveillance, improved intelligence gathering and faster response whenever threats emerge.
They are also seeking stronger cooperation between security agencies and local communities.
Residents often have valuable knowledge about movements in their communities and surrounding forests.
If properly protected, community members can provide information that may help security agencies detect threats before attacks occur.
Traditional rulers and community leaders can also assist by strengthening communication between residents and security personnel.
However, the immediate concern remains the children already in captivity.
Parents want authorities to intensify the search while carefully protecting the lives of the victims.
Rescue operations involving children require careful planning because any reckless action could put the hostages at greater risk.
Security agencies must therefore rely on accurate intelligence and coordinated operations.
The government has previously maintained that efforts are being made to rescue abducted Nigerians and that security agencies are working together to locate victims.
President Tinubu has also previously acknowledged the suffering of families whose children were taken and directed security agencies to intensify efforts to secure their release.
But for the families in Borno, the passage of time has made the situation increasingly painful.
They want the government’s assurances to be followed by tangible results.
The parents say they simply want to see their children again.
They want their sons and daughters to return home, reunite with their families and resume their education.
The demand is especially emotional because many of the victims were taken while pursuing their education.
They were not combatants or security personnel.
They were students whose families expected them to return home after school.
Their disappearance has consequently affected parents, siblings, classmates, teachers and entire communities.
The continuing insecurity has also raised concerns about the ability of residents to maintain normal economic activities.
Farmers may be afraid to travel to their farms, traders may avoid certain routes and families may relocate from communities they consider unsafe.
This can deepen poverty and undermine development in already vulnerable areas.
For Borno, which has endured years of insurgency, preventing a return to widespread terrorist attacks remains a major challenge.
The state has made significant efforts to rebuild communities and restore economic and educational activities, but recurring attacks threaten those gains.
The abduction of schoolchildren is particularly damaging because it creates fear among families and can reverse efforts to encourage school attendance.
The government will therefore face increasing pressure to strengthen security around educational institutions.
Parents are likely to continue demanding answers until their children are safely returned.
They are also asking that the authorities provide regular updates where doing so will not compromise ongoing security operations.
For families living through prolonged captivity, even a small piece of verified information can provide reassurance.
Silence, on the other hand, can deepen anxiety and uncertainty.
The families are not only calling for the rescue of their children but also demanding measures to ensure that other Nigerian children do not suffer the same fate.
They want schools in vulnerable communities properly protected and terrorist groups prevented from gaining access to educational institutions.
They also want stronger measures against the networks that facilitate kidnapping and terrorism.
The situation in Borno demonstrates the continuing need for a comprehensive security strategy that combines military operations, intelligence gathering, community engagement and long-term development.
Security operations may disrupt terrorist groups, but lasting peace also requires addressing the conditions that allow insecurity to persist.
For now, however, the families are focused on one urgent objective.
They want their children back.
Every day that passes without their return adds to the emotional burden being carried by their parents and relatives.
The children remain at the centre of the crisis, and their safe recovery must remain the priority.
As security agencies continue efforts to confront terrorist groups in Borno, affected families are appealing directly to President Tinubu to ensure that the abducted pupils are not forgotten.
Their message is simple and deeply emotional:
Bring back our children. Bring them home alive.
