Parents and community members in Mussa and Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, have issued a six-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to rescue 80 children abducted by insurgents.
The families made the demand during a protest in Askira/Uba, expressing frustration over what they described as the prolonged failure to secure the release of their children, who have reportedly spent more than 130 days in captivity.
The abductions reportedly began on May 15, 2026, with 44 children said to have been taken from Mussa Ward and another 36 from schools in Lassa.
Chairman of the affected parents, Ishaku Suya, appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, warning that the families would travel to Abuja and protest at the Presidential Villa if the children were not rescued within six days.
Suya questioned why children abducted in the Northeast had not received what the families described as a similar level of urgency in other cases.
“We, the parents of the abducted children of Mussa and Lassa, will take over the streets of the Presidential Villa if he doesn’t rescue our children,” he said.
Another parent, Josphin Yohanna, also called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to secure the children’s release.
She argued that the response to the abductions should not differ based on the location of the victims, stressing that the affected children were Nigerians who deserved the same attention and protection.
The prolonged captivity has also drawn concern from Dr Midala Usman Balami, the member of the House of Representatives representing Askira/Uba and Hawul Federal Constituency.
Balami said he had raised the matter at the National Assembly and pledged to continue pressing the Federal Government and Borno State authorities to deploy available security resources towards rescuing the children.
The lawmaker said the victims had already spent more than four months in captivity, describing the situation as one requiring urgent action.
The parents have vowed to proceed to Abuja if their demand is not met within the six-day period.
As of press time, there was no official response from the Presidency to the ultimatum.
