Parents Demand Urgent Rescue of Borno Schoolchildren from Boko Haram

After 132 days in captivity, parents of 78 schoolchildren abducted by Boko Haram in Mussa and Lassa, Askira/Uba local government area of Borno State, issued a six-day ultimatum to the federal government for their rescue. The children include 42 pupils from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, taken on May 15, 2026, and 36 students and a teacher from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, abducted on June 29, 2026.

During a protest in Mussa, the chairman of the Parents of Abductees, Ishaku Wabba, expressed anguish over the lack of information regarding their children and questioned why the government acted swiftly to rescue abducted children in Oyo State but not those in Borno. Maria Timothy, a mother of one of the abducted students, appealed to President Bola Tinubu for urgent action.

Hon Midala Usman Balami, representing Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency, urged both federal and state governments to enhance security and intelligence efforts for the children's rescue. The Emir of Uba, Ali Samaila Mamza II, also called for collaboration among various levels of government and the media to ensure the safe return of the children.