Eighty-seven days after terrorists abducted pupils of Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, their parents say the prolonged separation has become an agonising ordeal, with no clear information on the whereabouts or condition of their children.
The children were abducted on Friday, May 15, 2026, at about 9:00 a.m., when armed insurgents stormed the school in Mussa community.
The attackers reportedly took away several pupils, including young children, as well as teachers, leaving families devastated and the community grappling with fear and uncertainty.
Nearly three months later, the parents say their pain has not diminished.
They also expressed concern over what they described as the absence of regular communication from the government and security agencies regarding efforts to secure the children’s release.
“Nearly three months now, the psychological toll of uncertainty we endure is still haunting us. We live in constant fear and uncertainty,” a parent, Sale Buba, told Daily Trust.
Buba said no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction or contacted the families to demand ransom.
“Our wives cry every day and barely sleep at night. We constantly think about their condition under captivity,” he said.
He said the rainy season had further intensified the anxiety among affected families, particularly the mothers.
“Each time the rain starts falling, my wife and other affected women become restless. My wife cries like a baby, thinking about the condition of her little children under the heavy rainfall,” he said.
Another parent, Josphin Yohanna, described the prolonged captivity as a calamity that had left families traumatised.
“Many families were left anxious. No government visit, no update or visible efforts to rescue our children,” Yohanna said.
She recalled that government officials had initially urged the families to remain patient and assured them that the children would be rescued.
“We all thought by now our children would have returned home, but it has become a forgotten issue. This is where we are today.
“For how long should we continue waiting without any update?” she asked.
Ishaya Suya, chairman of the parents of the abducted children, said living without their children for nearly three months had become unbearable.
“We do not know if our children are safe, if they are being fed or what condition they are in, especially during this rainy season. I wonder if they are sick or healthy,” he said.
Suya appealed to the Borno State Government and the Federal Government to intensify efforts to secure the children’s release.
He also compared the situation with the abduction of pupils in Oyo State, saying the government’s response in that case had raised questions among the affected families.
“These children were abducted on the same day as the Ogbomosho children in Oyo. Their governor didn’t rest. Today, their children have not only been released, but the perpetrators were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
“Unfortunately, we are here begging to know the fate of our children, but nobody is saying anything,” he said.
The councillor representing Mussa Ward, Peter Haruna Waba, confirmed that the children remained in captivity and that no group had publicly claimed responsibility for the abduction.
“We were confused about the situation. Nobody believed that these children would remain in captivity until this time. This is a calamity,” Waba said.
He appealed to the parents to remain calm, saying the state government was making efforts to facilitate the children’s safe return.
“The Commissioner for Education was in our community on behalf of the governor, and he gave us hope that they would do everything to ensure that our children return safely.
“We know the government is trying to rescue these children, but more efforts should be made to expedite their freedom,” he said.
CSOs Condemn Government Silence
The Borno State Network of Civil Society Organisations has condemned what it described as the prolonged silence of the state and federal governments over the abduction.
The chairman of the coalition, Abubakar Suleiman, said the lack of regular communication with the affected families was unacceptable.
He said the authorities owed the families of the abducted children an immediate and transparent explanation about the situation and the measures being taken to secure their release.
“It is quite unfortunate that we are still discussing the children abducted back in May. It is completely unacceptable for parents and guardians to be kept entirely in the dark, left with zero information regarding the health, safety and overall condition of their children,” Suleiman said.
He criticised the government and security agencies for failing to provide what he described as reassuring and convincing answers to the families.
According to him, the uncertainty surrounding the children’s fate has compounded the psychological trauma already suffered by their parents.
The CSOs called for intensified rescue operations and the immediate and safe return of the children.
Suleiman also urged government officials to engage directly with the parents and guardians, offer support and provide concrete assurances regarding efforts to secure the victims’ release.
He equally appealed to the abductors to release the children unconditionally.
“These children already come from underprivileged backgrounds and have been systematically excluded from many of life’s basic opportunities.
“For them to now be subjected to this excruciating and terrifying ordeal is beyond unfortunate; it is a tragedy that demands urgent redemption,” he said.
Why Mussa Children Are Yet to Be Rescued
A security officer involved in an earlier operation to rescue the abducted children explained some of the difficulties encountered by security forces in the area.
The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a joint team comprising military personnel, hunters and vigilantes ventured deep into the forest days after the abduction.
According to him, the team encountered an apparently abandoned mosque where more than 30 mobile phones were found charging with a generator.
“We did not know it was a bait left by the captors. Unwittingly walking into the trap, we confiscated the devices, only to be ruthlessly ambushed on our way out,” he said.
He claimed that the insurgents nearly overpowered the team, seized two military trucks and seven motorcycles, and forced the surviving personnel to retreat.
He said the incident contributed to the suspension of subsequent rescue operations in the area.
“The militants possess superior knowledge of the terrain, are heavily armed and use psychological traps that turn search missions into lethal ambushes.
“This has left the security forces severely outmatched in the dense forest,” he said.
Borno Government: It Is a Security Matter
The Borno State Commissioner for Education, Science and Innovation, Engr. Abba Lawan Wakilbe, declined to comment on the current status of the abducted children when contacted.
He directed inquiries to the military.
“I can’t tell you beyond what you know. It’s a security matter, so contact the security agencies, please,” he said.
FG Must Show More Commitment – Security Expert
A security expert, Major General Umar I. Mohammed, urged the Federal Government to demonstrate stronger commitment towards securing the release of the Mussa schoolchildren and their teachers.
Mohammed said the government had a fundamental responsibility to protect the lives and welfare of all Nigerians, regardless of their location.
“I will advise the government that all Nigerians should be treated the same. The same level of commitment, zeal and interest should be shown whenever there is a crisis anywhere in the country,” he said.
While acknowledging efforts by the government, the security expert called for the deployment of the full capacity of the security agencies to rescue citizens facing serious threats.
He also urged communities in northern Nigeria to become more vocal in demanding accountability and condemning insecurity.
“They should be active and condemn when things are done wrongly. We should act in unison to bring an end to some of these menaces,” he said.
The Mussa pupils were abducted alongside their teachers, while pupils of Orire in Oyo State were also abducted around the same period and rescued two weeks ago.
A public affairs analyst, Alhaji Ahmadu Ibrahim, questioned the apparent difference in the outcomes of the two cases.
He urged the Federal Government to explain why the Orire pupils were rescued while the Mussa children remain in captivity.
For the parents of the Mussa pupils, however, the central question remains unanswered: when will their children come home?
After 87 days of waiting, fear and uncertainty, they say what they need most is not another assurance, but concrete action to bring their children back safely.
