63 Days After Borno School Abduction: Families Still Waiting as Promises Give Way to Pain
The assurances that followed the abduction of dozens of schoolchildren from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State have yet to bear fruit in the return of the children.
Government officials and security agencies promised to use all resources to find the children and bring those responsible for their abduction to justice in the days that followed. Those pledges gave families who were worried about their children being separated from them some comfort.
That hope has since been replaced by uncertainty, however, more than two months later. The children are still held captive, and their parents are still waiting for tangible results, not promises. Questions are louder with every passing day about the progress of the rescue and if enough is being done to free the children.
The contrast has grown even starker after the successful release of the school children abducted in Oyo State after weeks in captivity. Each kidnapping has its own set of security issues, but the Borno case has certainly brought to the fore a sense of urgency and transparency.
Child rights groups are concerned that children suffer from significant physical, psychological and educational damage as a result of extended periods of captivity. In addition to the immediate threat, each day away from home exacerbates trauma, impacts learning and undermines their sense of safety.
The central question hasn’t changed as the 63rd day passes: When will the promises made to these families become reality? Official assurances will be judged not by words but by results until the children are safely reunited with their loved ones.
