Parents Give FG 6 Days To Rescue Borno Schoolchildren Or Face Villa Protest

After 132 days in Boko Haram captivity, parents of 78 schoolchildren abducted in Mussa and Lassa, Askira/Uba local government area of Borno State, have given the federal government a six-day ultimatum to rescue the schoolchildren.

They threatened to stage a protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja if they were not released.

The children, 42 pupils from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School abducted on May 15, 2026, and 36 students and a teacher from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, abducted on June 29, 2026 – have spent over 132 days in captivity.

The parents who were yesterday joined by community members and children defied a heavy rainfall in the Mussa community of Askira-Uba to stage the protest.

The chairman of the Mussa and Lassa Parents of Abductees, Ishaku Wabba, who spoke during the protest, said parents were in anguish with no information on their children.

He queried why the children abducted in Oyo State were quickly rescued while the Borno students remain in captivity.

“Why did you rescue the Oyo abducted children and neglect ours? We too are Nigerians. We are citizens of this country. The President needs to do everything possible to rescue our children.

“We are giving you six days to rescue our children; otherwise, we will stage a big protest at the Presidential Villa gate in Abuja. It is either we are killed or we survive,” he warned.

Maria Timothy, mother of one of the abducted students, pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to have mercy on them and intensify action towards the speedy and safe return of their children.
” We are crying to the President. We are citizens of Nigeria, we are not foreigners. Government should ensure that our children abducted for so long now are quickly rescued from their captors,” she said.

Member representing Askira-Uba/ Hawul Federal Constituency, Hon Midala Usman Balami, called on the Federal and Borno State governments to put resources and intelligence together towards rescuing the schoolchildren.

He further called for the deployment of more security so that they can intensify the surveillance and protection of Mussa, Lassa, Dille and other communities, including Ngulde and other wards in Askira-Uba that are having close proximity with the Sambisa forest.

“We are calling on the Federal government and State government to put resources and intelligence together to rescue the abducted schoolchildren. We need to deploy more security so that they can intensify the surveillance and protection of Askira-Uba communities that have proximity with the Sambisa forest, ” Hon Balami said.

The Emir of Uba, Ali Samaila Mamza 11, appealed to the Federal, Borno State and the local governments , including the media to work in collaboration towards the safe return of the schoolchildren and other captives.

The communities further urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene as quick as possible so that their children will return unhurt.