87 Days Without Borno Schoolchildren: Parents Demand Urgent Action to Bring Children Home
Parents of the abducted schoolchildren in Askira-Uba, Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, Borno State, have called on the government to take urgent action to ensure the safe return of the children.
The children were taken prisoner with their teachers on May 15 and their families have received little information about their whereabouts, health and welfare.
The extended uncertainty has turned into a child protection crisis for the affected families. Parents report that they are constantly worried about whether their children are being fed, cared for and protected in captivity.
Ishaya Suya, chairman of the parents’ group, described the situation as “torture” as families are not aware if their children are safe, healthy or sick, especially during the rainy season.
Civil society groups in Borno have also condemned the government’s “silence” for too long. The Borno State Network of Civil Society Organisations (NCSO) demanded immediate and transparent communication with families and increased efforts to release the children.
A security source involved in a previous rescue operation said that armed groups operating in the area have been exploiting the knowledge of the terrain and psychological traps to ambush rescue teams, making operations particularly dangerous.
But the security situation has not dampened the government’s duty to ensure the safety of children and to seek their safe return. Major General Umar I. Mohammed, a security expert, called on the authorities to emulate the Oyo State government’s action in the rescue of abducted schoolchildren.
The central demand of the families is the same after 87 days: information, action and safe return of their children.
