We Are Not Sure If Our Children Are Still Alive – Parents of 42 Abducted Borno Schoolchildren Lament 47 Days Without News of Their Children

Forty-seven days after 42 pupils were abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, their parents say they remain trapped in fear and uncertainty as there has been no information about the whereabouts of their children.

The pupils, including toddlers as young as two years old, were kidnapped from their classrooms on May 15, 2026, when gunmen attacked the Mussa community.

Since the abduction, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, while the affected families say they have neither received ransom demands nor established any form of communication with the abductors.

Speaking on Sunday, several parents expressed frustration over what they described as the slow pace of government intervention and the lack of regular updates on efforts to rescue the children.

One of the parents, Saleh Buba, whose two children were among those kidnapped, said the ordeal had left families devastated, particularly because many of the victims are very young.

“We think about our children every day because some of them are toddlers. One of my children is just two years old. My wife and the other mothers have barely slept since they were taken,” he said.

Buba recalled that government officials visited the community shortly after the incident and urged residents to remain patient, but said the families had not received any meaningful update since then.

“Dozens of families are suffering. What we want from the government is an explanation and regular updates on what is being done,” he added.

Another affected parent, Josphin Yohanna, whose three-year-old child was among those abducted, said the prolonged silence had become unbearable.

“For 47 days, we have heard nothing. We don’t know whether our children are sick, healthy, dead or alive. The officials told us to be patient because efforts were ongoing, but how long should we continue waiting without any information?” she asked.

Some parents expressed fears that the abductors could still be hiding in nearby forests and mountainous areas surrounding the community, while others said each passing day was increasing their anxiety.

“Our children are getting farther away from us each day the rescue is delayed. We appreciate the government’s efforts, but we want security agencies to act quickly and bring them home,” one parent said.

Another lamented that the affected families felt abandoned.

“We feel forgotten. It is as if our children do not matter. Most of them are between two and five years old, yet we have not seen any significant federal intervention aimed at bringing them home,” the parent stated.

Mussa community is located near the fringes of the Sambisa Forest, an area that has long served as a stronghold for Boko Haram insurgents.

For more than a decade, insurgent groups have carried out attacks across Borno and other parts of Nigeria’s North-East, killing civilians and security personnel, abducting residents, and destroying public infrastructure despite ongoing military operations.

The councillor representing Mussa Ward, Peter Haruna Waba, described the continued disappearance of the children as heartbreaking.

“It is heartbreaking. Forty-two children, including toddlers, have remained missing for 47 days without any trace. I know Governor Babagana Umara Zulum’s administration is making efforts, but security operations are sensitive and cannot be discussed publicly,” he said.

Waba, however, noted that no delegation from the Federal Government had visited the community to sympathise with the affected families or provide updates on rescue efforts.

He appealed to residents to remain calm, avoid spreading rumours, and allow security agencies to continue their operations.

The Chairman of the Network of Civil Society Organisations in Borno State, Abubakar Suleiman, also criticised what he described as limited federal intervention since the abduction.

Similarly, the President of the Borno South Youths Alliance Forum, Samaila Kaigama, urged political leaders to intensify efforts to secure greater federal involvement in the rescue mission.

“More than 40 schoolchildren were kidnapped, yet the only visible response was the presentation of ₦10 million to traditional rulers in Askira/Uba. The affected families want concrete action and the safe return of their children,” he said.

Kaigama added that every Nigerian life deserves equal protection and attention regardless of geographical location, warning that perceptions of unequal treatment could deepen feelings of marginalisation.

The abduction occurred on the same day armed attackers struck schools in Oyo State, where several pupils and teachers were also kidnapped. One of the abducted teachers was later reportedly killed by his captors.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has called for the immediate and unconditional release of all pupils and teachers abducted during the attacks in both Borno and Oyo states, while urging authorities to strengthen measures to protect schools from future attacks.