Eighty-seven days after terrorists abducted pupils from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, their families said the pain of their absence remains as raw as it was on the morning they were taken. The abduction, which occurred on Friday, May 15, 2026, at around 9:00 a.m., shattered the peace of the Mussa community. Armed insurgents raided the school, taking the pupils, including toddlers, into captivity and leaving behind a trail of trauma, empty classrooms, and devastated homes. Speaking with Daily Trust, parents of the abducted children expressed profound despair, noting that they have received no official information regarding the whereabouts or condition of their loved ones. Compounding their grief, the families claim that both state and federal authorities have remained largely silent on the situation, leaving them to navigate their nightmares in isolation. “Nearly three months now, the psychological toll of uncertainty we endure is still hunting us. We live in constant fear and uncertainty,” a parent, Mr Sale Buba, said. He said that since the children were abducted, no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction and demanded ransom from them. “Our wives cry every day, and barely sleep at night. We constantly think about their conditions under captivity,” he said. He said that each time the rain started falling, his wife and other affected women would be restless, demanding answers about their children. “My wife will cry like a baby, thinking about the condition of her little children under the heavy rainfall,” he said. Also speaking, a mother, Josphin Yohanna, described the situation as a calamity that had befallen the community. “Many families were left anxious, no government visit, no update, or visible efforts to rescue our children,” he said. She said when the government officials told them to exercise patience and promised to rescue their children, “We all thought by now our children would have returned home, but it’s become a forgotten issue. This is where we are today. “For how long should we continue waiting without any update?,” she asked. Ishaya Suya, the chairman of the parents of the abducted children, said living without their children is torture. “We do not know if our children are safe, if they are fed, or what condition they are in, especially in this rainy season. I wonder if they are sick, healthy,” he said. He called on the state government to be more concerned about the condition of their children. “These children were abducted on the same day as the Ogbomosho children in Oyo. Their governor didn’t rest. Today, their children are not only released, but the perpetrators were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. “Unfortunately, we are here begging to know the fates of our children, but nobody is saying anything,” he said. The councillor representing Mussa ward, Peter Haruna Waba, confirmed that the children are still in captivity and no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction. “We were confused about the situation. Nobody believes that these children will remain in captivity until this time. This is a calamity,” he said. He urged parents to remain calm as the state government is doing its best to secure the release of the children. “The Commissioner for Education was in our community on behalf of the governor, and he gave us hope that they would do everything to ensure that our children return safely. “We know the government is trying to rescue these children, but more efforts should be made to expedite their freedom,” he said. CSOs condemn govt’s silence The Borno State Network of Civil Society Organisations condemned the prolonged silence of the state and federal government regarding the mass abduction of the schoolchildren. The coalition’s chairman, Abubakar Suleiman, described the government’s lack of communication as both unfortunate and unacceptable. He declared that authorities owe grieving families of Mussa and Lassa communities an immediate and transparent explanation. He expressed deep concern that months after the tragic incident, the pupils still remain in the custody of their captors with no clear path to their rescue. “It is quite unfortunate that we are still discussing the children abducted back in May. It is completely unacceptable for parents and guardians to be kept entirely in the dark, left with zero information regarding the health, safety, and overall condition of their children,” he said. Suleiman heavily criticised the federal and security authorities for failing to provide reassuring or convincing answers to the affected families, noting that the psychological trauma inflicted on the parents is compounded by official apathy. The CSOs called on the government to ramp up rescue operations to secure the immediate and safe return of the children without further delay. Suleiman urged government officials to proactively
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