Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Exactly 100 days after armed Boko Haram terrorists invaded Mussa Central Primary School in the Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, 44 schoolchildren, including toddlers as young as one year old, remain missing. The abduction, which occurred on May 15, 2026, saw the terrorists cart away over 40 pupils from the community on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest, a long-time stronghold of Islamist militants. A similar tragedy struck the same council on June 29, 2026, when over 30 students of Technical College in Lassa community were also abducted. Since then, the whereabouts of all the children remain unknown.
The anguish and desperation of the families reached a boiling point last week as parents of the abducted children took to the streets of Askira-Uba Council Headquarters in protest. They later marched to Maiduguri, the state capital, to meet with Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, demanding urgent government intervention after their children had spent 100 harrowing days in captivity. During an emotional meeting at the Government House council chamber, the leader of the delegation, Ishaku Jidai, expressed the profound pain of the parents, revealing that a significant number of the victims are very young children who can barely take care of themselves. "Two out of my three children were abducted, leaving me with only one," one grieving parent lamented. The parents pleaded with the governor to escalate their plight directly to President Bola Tinubu.
In response, Governor Zulum offered words of comfort and detailed the behind-the-scenes efforts being made by both state and federal security apparatuses. He assured the parents that the government has not relented in its pursuit of the perpetrators and the rescue of the victims since the incident occurred. "On behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I want to sympathise with you. I want to assure you that Mr President has since directed security agencies to ensure the rescue of our children, and I believe they are working to ensure their rescue," Zulum stated. He further disclosed that he had held a series of meetings with the National Security Adviser, the Director General of the Department of State Services, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Inspector General of Police. However, the governor's assurances have done little to ease the anxiety of the families, who continue to wait in anguish.
Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Southern Borno, who attended the meeting, has also called on the Nigerian military to intensify efforts towards the rescue of the victims. He made the appeal during a visit to the Theatre Command, North East 'Operation HADIN KAI', while also commending the military for its sustained efforts in combating insurgency. The development has renewed attention on the security of schools in Borno, where communities continue to face threats from insurgency. Due to the renewed Boko Haram onslaught, the Borno State Government ordered the immediate closure of the two affected schools and moved the remaining students to safer schools in Uba town. But for the families of the 44 missing children, the question remains: where are their children, and when are they coming home?.
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