105 Days Missing: Borno Schoolchildren Still Await Action as Lawmakers Demand More Than Condolences
The lawmakers have called for urgent action to secure the release of the 42 schoolchildren abducted from their classrooms in Borno State, 105 days ago, and to protect children in conflict-affected communities.
The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives, in condemning the rising trend of attacks and abductions in Northern Nigeria, specifically expressed concern over the Borno schoolchildren who have been missing for months since their abduction.
The children were kidnapped on May 15 from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area, close to the Sambisa Forest.
The continued disappearance of the children indicated that a long-term security response was needed, not just statements of condemnation following attacks, the lawmakers said.
They also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step up intelligence-led operations against the terrorist and criminal groups and urged the strategy adopted to secure the release of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State to be replicated.
But for the children and their families, 105 days is more than just a security statistic. Every day that they miss school is a day of lost learning, family separation, and worry about their safety and wellbeing.
The caucus urged the Federal Government to beef up security in the affected areas and to ensure that the abducted citizens are returned home.
The lawmakers also called on the government to allocate extraordinary funds for national security, if needed, saying that the protection of citizens should be a core duty of the government.
The continued absence of the Borno schoolchildren has left a pressing child protection question before the country as the 105th day passes: how long will it take for children to be found before it becomes a national priority?
