….Gov Says Tinubu Has Directed Security Agencies To Rescue Mussa pupils
… Lawmaker Demands Oyo-Style Operation
…Families Weep In Abuja, Say Prolonged Captivity Killing Victims’ Future
Daud Olatunji
Borno elders and relatives of abducted schoolchildren and other residents have demanded urgent action by President Bola Tinubu and Governor Babagana Zulum to secure the release of 116 victims who have spent up to 100 days in captivity.
The demand came amid an assurance from Zulum that the Federal and Borno State governments were working with security agencies to rescue the abducted schoolchildren from Mussa community in Askira-Uba Local Government Area.
The emotional development unfolded on Friday as members of the Hawul Askira-Uba Elders Forum, accompanied by the lawmaker representing Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency, Midala Balami, and relatives of some victims, addressed journalists in Abuja.
The forum said 78 students and pupils were among those abducted from Mussa and Lassa, while another 38 persons were reportedly kidnapped along the Buratai Road to Maiduguri, the Chibok route and other vulnerable locations across the state.
The forum’s Secretary, Malla Gadzama, said the families had endured “unimaginable pain, anxiety, fear and suffering” since their loved ones were taken away.
He said 42 pupils and students of Mussa Primary and Junior Day Secondary School were abducted on May 15, 2026, while 36 students of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, were kidnapped on June 29 while sitting for their National Examinations Council examinations.
Gadzama said the victims were children and students whose primary concern should have been completing their education and returning home safely.
“100 days is too long. 100 days without our children. 100 days of sleepless nights. 100 days of tears and fear. 100 days of uncertainty,” he said.
The elders urged Tinubu to mobilise all available national security, intelligence and military resources to secure the victims’ release.
They also asked Zulum to use the full weight of his office to work with the Federal Government and security agencies to bring the abductees home.
Gadzama recalled that schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State on May 15, the same day the Mussa victims were taken, were rescued on July 10 following a coordinated, intelligence-led operation.
“But today we ask: Why should the children and citizens of Borno have to wait longer?” he asked.
The forum said it was not seeking preferential treatment for Borno victims but “equal protection under the law” and the same urgency demonstrated in rescuing victims in other parts of the country.
Zulum: Tinubu directed security agencies
Responding to the mounting concerns, Zulum met with parents of the Mussa victims at the Government House in Maiduguri on Friday and assured them that efforts were underway to secure their children’s release.
The meeting was held at the request of the parents, who have repeatedly called for urgent intervention.
Zulum said the Federal Government and Borno State Government were working closely to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted children.
He also conveyed Tinubu’s sympathy to the affected families and said the President had personally committed to ensuring the children returned safely.
According to the governor, Tinubu had directed security agencies to work towards rescuing the victims.
“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 said.
He further assured the parents that the Federal Government, the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Borno State Government would do everything possible to secure the children’s release.
Zulum put the number of pupils abducted from Mussa Central Primary School on May 15 at about 44, a figure that differs slightly from the 42 pupils and students cited by the elders’ forum.
The meeting was attended by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Southern Borno, the Acting Chief of Staff to the governor, Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe; Commissioner for Education, Lawan Abba Wakilbe; Commissioner for Inter-Governmental Affairs and Special Duties, Samaila Abdulaziz Satumari; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Juliana Bitrus.
Lawmaker: Deploy same resources used for Oyo victims
Balami, who represents the affected federal constituency, called on the Federal Government to deploy the same resources and urgency used to rescue the Oyo victims to secure the release of the Borno abductees.
The lawmaker said he had raised the matter at the National Assembly as one of urgent public importance shortly after the abductions and had continued to press the government for decisive action.
He said the prolonged captivity had taken a heavy emotional toll on him and the affected families.
“It is so devastating that most times I lose appetite and I hardly find even my peace. This is the level of devastation,” Balami said.
He argued that the government had a constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property and should deploy all necessary resources to rescue the victims.
“We are demanding for the same kind of energy that was deployed for children that were abducted on the same day in Oyo,” he said.
“Is it that we are coming from the fringes of the forests that our lives don’t matter anymore? Is it that our voice or we are no longer Nigerians?”
The briefing in Abuja was punctuated by tears as Gadzama, Balami and several members of the delegation struggled to contain their emotions.
‘My sister has ulcer, we don’t know her condition’
One of the relatives, Laraba Adamu, said her sister was among those abducted and suffers from an ulcer, raising fears about her health and wellbeing in captivity.
Adamu appealed to the Federal and Borno State governments to show compassion and intensify efforts to secure the safe return of all the victims.
“Please, I’m pleading on behalf of the other families, they should please rescue our people and bring our people back to us. We want to live our life together with them. Their future is dying every day,” she said.
She added, “We don’t know their condition. We don’t know how they are feeling right there. We are pleading with the government to please have mercy on us and bring our people back to us.”
The conflicting figures given by the elders and the governor over the Mussa abduction highlight the need for authorities to provide an updated and authoritative account of the number of victims still in captivity.
But for the affected families, the demand remains clear: after 100 days of fear and uncertainty, they want their loved ones rescued and returned home safely.
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