100 days in captivity: Borno families demand rescue of abducted children

Families and concerned citizens of Borno State have issued an urgent plea to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, demanding the mobilization of security and intelligence resources to rescue children and other residents held captive for 100 days. The call, made at a press conference at the National Assembly under the theme "Bring Our Children Home, 100 Days of Horror, Pain and Suffering Is Enough," highlighted the plight of 42 pupils abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Day Secondary School on May 15, 2026. Additionally, 36 students from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, abducted on June 29 while taking their National Examinations Council (NECO) exams, remain in captivity. The group emphasized the profound suffering of the victims' families, enduring 100 days of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. They also called for the rescue of 38 individuals abducted along the Buratai Road to Maiduguri and others taken along the Chibok route and other vulnerable roads in Borno State. The group directly appealed to President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief, to make the rescue of these innocent children and civilians an urgent national priority, stressing that their continued captivity cannot become another unresolved case. Governor Zulum was also urged to leverage his office to push for immediate rescue efforts and collaborate with federal authorities and security agencies. The citizens argued that the government has a constitutional duty to protect its citizens, pointing to the successful rescue of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State as proof that coordinated, intelligence-led operations can yield positive results.

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We stand before you today with broken hearts, but also with determination and an urgent demand: Bring our children home.