Borno families appeal to President Tinubu and Governor Zulum for release of abducted schoolchildren and other victims

Forty-two pupils from Mussa Primary and Junior Day Secondary School were abducted on May 15, 2026, and 36 students from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, were taken on June 29 during their NECO examinations. The families also called for the rescue of 38 people abducted along the Buratai Road to Maiduguri, and other victims from the Chibok route and other parts of the state. Mr. Malla Gadzama, Secretary of the Hawul/Askira-Uba Elders Forum, described the situation as one of "prolonged pain, fear and uncertainty."

The families urged the deployment of all available security resources and cited the successful rescue of abducted children in Oyo State, asking for a similar strategy in Borno. They demanded regular, transparent communication, stronger protection for schools and communities, and a coordinated, intelligence-led national rescue operation. They warned against the normalization of prolonged abductions, emphasizing that the victims are real people, not statistics.

Midala Balami, the lawmaker representing Hawul/Askira-Uba Federal Constituency, expressed his sympathy and urged the government to act.