64 days after: Where are the abducted Mussa pupils?

Sixty-four days have passed since the abduction of the 42 school pupils in Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State. The children, including toddlers, were abducted on May 15, 2026, from their classrooms in their community located on the fringes of the dreaded Sambisa Forest. The children who […]

Sixty-four days have passed since the abduction of the 42 school pupils in Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State. The children, including toddlers, were abducted on May 15, 2026, from their classrooms in their community located on the fringes of the dreaded Sambisa Forest. The children who were abducted on the same day as the Oriire pupils have since remained in captivity.

Following the rescue of the Oriire pupils and teachers, parents of the Mussa pupils have been anxious hoping that their children will follow suit. However, not much was heard from the authourities on the matter, Weekend Trust gathered. The families of the pupils  say they fear that the fate of their children may be like that of the abducted Chibok girls, who till date have not all returned.

But speaking with Weekend Trust yesterday, the federal government said it was working hard to rescue the Mussa pupils. It said it treats all parts of Nigeria equally and will ensure that the children are reunited with their parents as soon as possible.

“We all feel abandoned. It’s as if our children don’t matter. We have no one to stand for us.

“What can we do. asked the chairman of the abducted children’s parents, Mr Ishaku Suya.

He lamented that the Mussa pupils were abducted the same day as the Oyo school children and teachers, but that the incident in the South got more attention, which according to him may have aided the rescue of the children and teachers.

“I have never seen such attention, zeal, and commitment by our security forces. The president made sure that all the Oyo school children and teachers were rescued unhurt. 

“But, as it is now, we don’t know the whereabouts of our children,” he said.

Another parent, Sale Buba, said, “We all thought the president would, after the rescue of Oyo school children, give the same matching order to the security forces to rescue our children. Unfortunately, nobody is talking about it. The state and the federal government have remained quiet over the issue,” he said.

Buba appealed to the abductors to come out and claim responsibility, saying maybe that will assist the government in its rescue efforts.

 “We are tired of the suspense; tell us the reason for abducting the toddlers and present your demands,” he said.

Another parent, Josephine Yohanna, whose three-year-old child was among those abducted by the gunmen, noted that for the past nine weeks, the pain of living without her child has been immense.

“In this rainy season. I wonder if our children are sick, healthy, dead, or alive,” she said.

Speaking further, “When the government officials came, they told us to be patient, that they were working to rescue them. For how long should we continue waiting without any update?”

Most of the parents interviewed were of the view that the abductors of their children could be in the Sambisa forest or around the Mandara mountains.

“They are holding our children close to us, but we have not seen any security improvement in our area. Also, we do not know if there was any deployment of a special squad for a rescue operation.

“Two weeks ago, six women and two toddlers were kidnapped on their farm. Also, two men were abducted by terrorists, who demanded N2 million; all in Mussa,” said another parent, Umar Ali.

Ali said the parents, especially mothers are very worried over the development.

“We thank the government for its efforts, but let the security agencies act and rescue our innocent children,” he pleaded.

While the community acknowledges the efforts of the Borno State government through the Commissioner for Education, they argue that the federal government has been largely absent.

The councillor representing Mussa Ward, Peter Haruna Waba, said the lack of progress in tracing the children is confusing.

“We find ourselves in a sad and confusing situation. 42 children have been missing for 64 days without a single trace,” he said.

He urged the parents to remain calm, as the state government is doing its best to secure the children’s release.

“The Commissioner for Education was in our community on behalf of the governor, and he gave us hope that they would do everything possible to ensure that our children return safely,” he said.

When contacted, the Borno State Commissioner for Education, Science and Innovation, Engr Abba Lawan Wakilbe, said he would not comment because it’s a security issue.

“I can’t tell you beyond what you know; it’s a security matter. So, contact the security, please,” he said.

 

We’re yet to see FG’s effort – CSO’s 

The Chairman of Borno State Network of Civil Society Organizations, Comrade Abubakar Suleiman, described the development as unfortunate.

He wondered that the Mussa pupils who were abducted on the same day as those in  Oriire in Oyo State, were still in captivity.

“Over a week ago, we were informed that the children of Oriire were safely rescued and have been reunited with their parents.

“Until now, we haven’t heard any statement from the federal government about the children of Mussa. As such, we are highly concerned.

“We call on the federal government to intensify efforts in rescuing our children and ensure that they return home safe”, he said.

“We also call on the federal and Borno State governments to show commitment and ensure the implementation of the safe school declaration in all schools across the state. 

“The abduction of students from their classrooms in Lassa and Mussa is worrisome; the government must do something,” he said.

 

‘Oriire’s rescue commitment should be applied in Borno’ 

A security expert, Major General Umar I Mohammed, speaking to Weekend Trust on the matter, urged the federal government to apply the same commitment it did in the Oyo school children  case to that of Borno.

Mohammed said it is the primary responsibility of the government to ensure the welfare and safety of its citizens.

“I will advise the government that all Nigerians should be treated the same,” he said. 

He acknowledged that the government is doing its best, but insisted that the same attention and commitment should be given to where there is a crisis anywhere, irrespective of whoever is involved.

“I advise the authorities and the security agencies to note that the government is for all Nigerians, so whenever there is an issue, Nigerians should see the government coming in full force to show that it has the capacity.

He, however, advised people from the Northern region to stop being docile when serious issues affect them.

“They should be active to come out and condemn when things are done wrong. We should act in unison to make sure that we bring an end to these menaces that have continued to befall us,” he said.

 

‘FG working to rescue pupils’

The federal government yesterday reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the lives of all Nigerians, saying its response to terrorism, kidnapping and other forms of criminality is guided by the principle that every citizen deserves equal protection regardless of location.

In a chat with Weekend Trust, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Rabiu Ibrahim, said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not discriminate in the deployment of security resources.

“The federal government’s response to terrorism, kidnapping and other forms of criminality is guided by one principle: every Nigerian life matters,” Rabiu said.

 “Whether an incident occurs in the North-East, North-West, North-Central, South-West, South-East, South-South, every victim deserves the full attention and commitment of the Nigerian state,” he said.

He said efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the Mussa pupils. “The ongoing efforts to secure the release of the abducted Borno students are being coordinated by relevant security agencies through intelligence-driven operations and other necessary measures. As with all sensitive rescue operations, details cannot be disclosed publicly, as doing so could compromise the safety of the victims and the success of ongoing efforts,” he said.

He acknowledged the concerns of the affected families and communities, assuring them that the government remained focused on ensuring the safe return of the students.

He noted that the government was applying the same determination that had resulted in previous successful rescue operations across the country.

“The same resolve demonstrated in previous successful interventions across the country is being applied in this case and in every other instance of criminal abduction,” he stated.

Rabiu also said security agencies had intensified efforts to tackle terrorism and criminal networks under the Tinubu administration.