100 Days In Captivity: Borno Elders Beg Tinubu, Zulum To Rescue 116 Abductees

There were tears and emotional outbursts in Abuja on Friday as the Hawul Askira-Uba Elders Forum of Borno State appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Babagana Zulum to intensify efforts to rescue 78 students and 38 other persons who have spent 100 days in captivity.

The forum, accompanied by the lawmaker representing Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency, Hon. Midala Balami, and relatives of some of the victims, made the appeal while addressing journalists in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the elders, the forum’s secretary, Malla Gadzama, said the affected families had endured “unimaginable pain, anxiety, fear and suffering” since their loved ones were abducted.

Gadzama said 42 pupils and students of Mussa Primary and Junior Day Secondary School were abducted on May 15, 2026, in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

He noted that schoolchildren and teachers were abducted in Oyo State on the same day but were later rescued, while the families of the Mussa victims were still waiting for the safe return of their loved ones.

He added that 36 students of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, were abducted on June 29 while writing their National Examinations Council, NECO, examinations.

“These children were abducted while pursuing their education — children whose primary concern should have been completing their examinations, returning home safely and building their futures,” Gadzama said.

The forum also demanded the immediate rescue of 38 persons reportedly abducted along the Buratai Road to Maiduguri, as well as other victims taken along the Chibok route and other vulnerable routes across Borno State.

“These are not statistics. They are children. They are sons and daughters. They are brothers and sisters. They are wives and husbands. They are fathers and mothers. They are human beings with families waiting, praying and crying for them every single day,” Gadzama said.

He described the 100 days of captivity as “100 days of sleepless nights,” tears, fear and uncertainty for the victims’ families.

“100 days is too long! 100 days without our children. 100 days of sleepless nights. 100 days of tears and fear. 100 days of uncertainty. 100 days of families asking one simple question: Where are our loved ones, and when are they coming home?” he asked.

Appealing directly to Tinubu, Gadzama urged the President to mobilise all available national security resources towards rescuing the abducted students and other victims.

“Mr. President, these families have waited for 100 days. We recognise the enormous security challenges confronting our nation, and we appreciate the sacrifices being made by our security personnel. But the continued captivity of innocent children and civilians cannot be allowed to become another unresolved case,” he said.

The forum specifically asked the President to make the rescue of the Mussa and Lassa students, those abducted along the Buratai Road to Maiduguri, and other victims along the Chibok route and across Borno an urgent national priority.

Gadzama also appealed to Governor Zulum to use the full weight of his office to press for the victims’ rescue, urging the state government to work closely with the Federal Government, security agencies and intelligence services.

He commended the successful rescue of the Oyo schoolchildren and teachers, who were abducted on May 15 and rescued on July 10 following a coordinated, intelligence-led operation involving multiple security agencies.

“But today we ask: Why should the children and citizens of Borno have to wait longer?” he said.

Gadzama argued that the victims were not seeking preferential treatment but equal protection and the same urgency deployed in rescuing abducted children in other parts of the country.

“We are not asking for preferential treatment. We are asking for equal protection under the law. We are asking for the same urgency. We are asking for the same determination. We are asking for the same commitment to human life. Our children in Mussa and Lassa deserve nothing less,” he said.

Also speaking, Balami called on the federal government to deploy the same resources and urgency used in rescuing the Oyo victims to secure the release of the Borno abductees.

The lawmaker said the continued captivity had taken a heavy emotional toll on him and the affected families.

“It is so devastating that most times I lose appetite and I hardly find even my peace. This is the level of devastation,” he said.

Balami recalled that he raised the matter as one of urgent public importance in the National Assembly shortly after the abduction, adding that he had continued to press the government to take decisive action.

He said the government had a constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property and should deploy all necessary resources to rescue the victims.

“We are demanding for the same kind of energy that was deployed for children that were abducted on the same day in Oyo. Is it that we are coming from the fringes of the forests that our lives don’t matter anymore? Is it that our voice or we are no longer Nigerians?” he asked.

The emotional briefing was punctuated by tears as Gadzama and Balami struggled to contain their emotions, while several members of the delegation, including men and women, wept openly.

Speaking on behalf of the victims’ families, Laraba Adamu said her sister, who was among those abducted, suffers from an ulcer and expressed concern about her condition in captivity.

“Please, I’m pleading on behalf of the other families, they should please rescue our people and bring our people back to us. We want to live our life together with them. Their future is dying every day,” she said.

Adamu appealed to the government to show compassion and intensify efforts to secure the victims’ safe return.

“We don’t know their condition. We don’t know how they are feeling right there. We are pleading with the government to please have mercy on us and bring our people back to us,” she said.