As political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, families of dozens of abducted schoolchildren in Borno and Niger states are still appealing to the Federal Government and state authorities to secure their release from captivity.
The children, who were kidnapped in separate incidents, have spent months and weeks in the hands of their abductors, with parents accusing the authorities of failing to demonstrate sufficient urgency in rescuing them.
In Borno State, 78 children abducted from Mussa and Lassa communities in Askira-Uba Local Government Area have spent 213 days in captivity as of Saturday, November 14, 2026. 
The children were taken in two separate attacks on schools in the communities.
The first incident occurred on May 15, when at least 42 pupils and students were abducted from Mussa Primary and Secondary School.
On June 29, another 36 students were kidnapped from Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, leaving families in prolonged uncertainty over their whereabouts.
Some of the victims are reportedly toddlers below the age of two, while others are school-age children whose education has been interrupted by the abduction.
Chairman of the parents of the abducted children, Ishaku Suya, said the families had continued to live in anguish, lamenting that they had not noticed any visible security operation aimed at rescuing their children.
“Unfortunately, nobody is talking about it. And we have not noticed any visible effort by security operatives to rescue our children,” Suya told Daily Trust.
Another parent, identified as Buba, appealed to the abductors to disclose their demands and explain why they kidnapped even very young children.
“We are tired of the suspense. Tell us the reason for abducting the toddlers and present your demands,” he said.
The parents expressed fears that the children could still be held in hideouts around the Sambisa Forest and Mandara Mountains.
One of the parents, Mista Ali, said the community had yet to witness significant security improvements since the incident.
“They are holding our children close to us, but we have not seen any security improvement in our area, let alone deployment of a special squad for the rescue operation,” he said.
He, however, acknowledged the efforts of the state government while appealing for stronger intervention by security agencies.
“We thank the government for its efforts, but let the security agencies act and rescue our innocent children,” he pleaded.
Another parent, Emmanuel Samuel, said families had met with Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum and Senator Ali Ndume in Maiduguri, where they were assured that the children would soon be released.
Samuel said 19 parents travelled to the Government House to meet the governor, who reportedly told them that the children were close to being freed before a last-minute setback disrupted the process.
He said the governor assured them that the abducted children were being held together and would be released at the same time.
In Niger State, 15 female students of Madarasatul Nurul Islam, an Islamiyyah school in Maikujeri community, Rafi Local Government Area, have also remained in captivity more than two weeks after their abduction.
The students were kidnapped on October 31, 2026, while returning home after helping their teacher, Mallam Aminu Mallam Bako, harvest maize on his farm.
According to their parents, the teacher had asked the students to return home after receiving information that armed men were approaching the area.
However, the girls reportedly encountered the attackers on their way home and were abducted.
One of the parents, Yahaya Mohammed, said the kidnappers first contacted the families on November 3, four days after the incident, demanding N100m for the students’ release.
He said the abductors told the families they deliberately targeted schoolchildren because they believed the government would have to raise money to secure their freedom.
Mohammed lamented that the affected families were too poor to meet the demand, adding that most of them could not even afford N20,000.
“All the kidnapped children are from poor families. Currently, none of the parents can raise N20,000 because we have not been able to harvest our crops due to insecurity,” he said.
He also disclosed that the abductors had not allowed the parents to speak directly with their children since the kidnapping.
According to him, the abduction has taken a serious toll on the families, with some mothers reportedly hospitalised following psychological trauma.
He further alleged that some affected families had suffered additional losses from bandit attacks, including cattle rustling and restrictions on access to farmlands.
The parents expressed disappointment over what they described as the Niger State Government’s silence, saying the local government chairman, divisional police officer and education secretary were among the few officials who had visited them.
