Parents Shelve Abuja Protest Over Lack of Funds
According to reports by Daily Trust, exactly 150 days after their children were seized by terrorists, distressed parents of 78 abducted schoolchildren in Borno State have been forced to postpone a planned mass protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The postponement is a result of crippling poverty, a lack of transport fares, and the struggle to leave behind food for their remaining dependants.
The children remain in captivity following two separate mass kidnappings in the Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State. Specifically, 42 school pupils were abducted in Mussa on May 15, while 36 college students were seized in Lassa on June 29, 2026. The families previously issued a six-day ultimatum to the Federal Government between September 21 and 27, 2026, demanding the rescue of their children. However, the deadline elapsed without official communication, compounded by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu travelling out of the country during that period.
Ishaku Suya, chairman of the Abducted Children’s Parents Association, explained that families lacked the financial resources required to travel to Abuja and sustain an indefinite protest. “You know, we must plan it very well. We need to have enough resources to settle our families back home and cover the expenses we will incur in Abuja, because we are not coming back until the President talks to us,” Suya said. He added that many families are trying to harvest crops to mobilize funds, noting the severe emotional toll the situation has taken on mothers who have stopped eating and abandoned their farms.
Accusations of Government ‘Double Standard’
Some parents expressed deep anger over government inaction and a perceived disparity in how security crises are handled across different regions. Sale Buba, an affected parent, pointed out that the Borno children were kidnapped on the same day terrorists abducted more than 40 students and teachers in Oriire LGA of Oyo State. While the Oyo victims regained freedom after 56 days, the Borno children have spent nearly five months in militant enclaves.
Another parent, Samuel Emmanuel, noted that many farmers left remote farmlands unattended out of fear, resulting in destroyed crops and financial ruin. While families reported that Borno State Governor Prof. Babagana Zulum met with the president last Friday to discuss the abductions and received assurances that security agencies would intensify rescue efforts, the parents noted a deafening silence from federal authorities regarding direct rescue updates.
Resolute Despite Setbacks and HURIWA’s Appeal
Despite the temporary setback, parents vowed to storm the Presidential Villa as soon as resources permit. “We are determined to remain there until we are granted an audience, regardless of the number of days and the difficulties,” said a mother, Josephine Fadi.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded immediate action from President Tinubu. In a statement by National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the civil rights organization criticized the federal government’s handling of the situation, emphasizing that the prolonged silence and captivity of the approximately 80 schoolchildren and teachers are unacceptable.