By Ado Oyeyemi
Parents of children abducted from Mussa and Lassa communities in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State have threatened to protest at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, if their children are not rescued within six days.
The parents and community members issued the ultimatum on Monday during a protest in Askira/Uba, expressing frustration over the continued captivity of the children, who have spent more than 130 days with Boko Haram insurgents.
The children were reportedly abducted during a wave of attacks that began on May 15, 2026.
According to the parents and school authorities, 44 children were taken from Mussa Ward, while another 36 were abducted from schools in Lassa.
The abduction occurred on the same day terrorists kidnapped more than 40 students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The Oyo victims were later released after 56 days in captivity.
The chairman of the abducted pupils’ parents, Ishaku Suya, who led the protest, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to direct security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the release of the children.
He said, “I’m making this loudest call to Mr President that we, the parents of the abducted children of Mussa and Lassa, will take over the streets of the presidential villa if he doesn’t rescue our children as he rescued the Oyo children. You should either kill us, leave us alive, or rescue our children.”
A mother, Josphin Yohanna, questioned what she described as the difference in the government’s response to the abduction of children in Oyo and Borno states.
She said the rescue of the Oyo victims demonstrated that the Federal Government had the capacity to respond to mass abductions, urging similar urgency in the North-East.
“Why shouldn’t the president extend similar urgency to our children in the northeast? We are equally Nigerians,” she said.
The acting district head of Lassa, Wadzani Hammatu, said many of the abducted children were toddlers, describing their continued captivity as unbearable for their families and communities.
The Emir of Uba, Ali Samaila Mamza, also appealed to the Federal, Borno State and local governments to intensify efforts to secure the safe return of the children.
The member representing Askira/Uba and Hawul Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dr Midala Usman Balami, condemned the prolonged captivity and said he had already raised the matter through a motion at the National Assembly.
Balami said he would continue to pursue the matter, urging the Federal and state governments to deploy available security resources to secure the release of the children.
Another parent, Buba, said the families could no longer remain silent after more than four months of waiting for their children to return home.
He insisted that the parents would proceed with their planned protest at the Presidential Villa if the six-day ultimatum elapsed without the children being rescued.
As of press time, the Presidency had yet to issue an official response to the ultimatum.
A retired Major General, Umar I. Mohammed, urged the Federal Government to demonstrate equal commitment to protecting citizens affected by insecurity across the country.
Mohammed acknowledged ongoing efforts by security agencies but called for sustained attention to communities affected by insurgency in Borno State, stressing that the safety of citizens should remain a priority regardless of their location.
Meanwhile, residents of farming communities in Borgu and Agwara Local Government Areas of Niger State blocked the Mokwa-New Bussa Road on Monday to protest persistent attacks by suspected terrorists.
The protest, organised by the Borgu Youth Federation with the participation of various groups, including members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, reportedly began at the Bussa Roundabout around 5:30am despite heavy rainfall.
The action left commuters travelling from the Mokwa axis towards New Bussa and Agwara stranded.
The Auditor of the Borgu Youth Federation, Aliyu Abdulmajeed, said the protest was triggered partly by concerns over the reported number of people abducted during attacks on communities in the area.
He alleged that about 500 worshippers were abducted during attacks on Jumaat mosques in Dekara and other communities and claimed that some of the victims had subsequently been killed.
Abdulmajeed also alleged that recent attacks had displaced residents and worsened tensions between farmers and herders in Agwara, while appealing to the government to strengthen security operations in the affected communities.
The Chairman of Borgu LGA, Mohammed Nasir Abdullahi, had earlier said security personnel were deployed to the area following an appeal by the Niger State Government after attacks on worshippers in Dekara, Gbezhin, Sabon-Gida and Kpenya on August 21, 2026.
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The attackers reportedly abducted an unspecified number of worshippers and later killed 30 of the victims.
