Families of abducted schoolchildren and residents in Borno State have urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts to secure their release.
Families of 116 people abducted in Borno State have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Babagana Zulum to help secure their release. The families made the appeal at a press conference in Abuja on Friday. Some of the victims have now spent 100 days in captivity. Among them are 42 pupils and students of Mussa Primary and Junior Day Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area. Gunmen abducted the students on May 15, 2026.
Another 36 students of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, were taken on June 29. They were sitting for their National Examinations Council examinations at the time. The families also called for the rescue of 38 people reportedly abducted along the Buratai Road to Maiduguri.
Families demand urgent action
Speaking for the families, Secretary of the Hawul/Askira-Uba Elders Forum, Malla Gadzama, said the prolonged captivity had caused fear and uncertainty.
“Too much time has passed without our children. We have endured sleepless nights, fear and uncertainty, and we are still asking one question: where are our loved ones, and when are they coming home?” Gadzama said.
He urged Tinubu to deploy more security resources to rescue the victims. He also asked Zulum to work with security agencies and the Federal Government to secure their safe return. The families pointed to the recent rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State. They said the government should show the same urgency in rescuing the Borno victims.
They also asked the government and security agencies to provide regular updates on the rescue efforts.
“The 100 days in captivity have been too long. Our families have endured sleepless nights, tears, fear and uncertainty as we wait for our loved ones to return,” the families said.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Hawul/Askira-Uba Federal Constituency, Midala Balami, sympathised with the affected families. Balami urged the government to step up rescue efforts. He said the abductions had caused serious emotional distress among families and residents of the constituency.
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