Community leaders from Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State have appealed to the abductors of 42 schoolchildren to release them without conditions, as concern grows over the fate of the pupils who have now spent three weeks in captivity.
The appeal was made on Monday in Maiduguri by a delegation of stakeholders led by the Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Askira, who said the prolonged detention of the children had plunged families and communities into deep distress.
Describing the ordeal as “agonising”, Askira urged those holding the children to consider their age and innocence, arguing that they should not be caught up in a conflict not of their making.
“We passionately appeal to the conscience of those behind this heinous act: these are children, not soldiers or politicians. They are the future of Borno and Nigeria,” he said.
“We urge you to fear Almighty God and release them unconditionally. Children must never be used as bargaining chips.”
The lawmaker said community leaders had deliberately refrained from public pressure in the immediate aftermath of the abduction, trusting that government authorities and security agencies were working to secure the children’s freedom.
“As stakeholders, we have remained patient and silent for these past three weeks, firmly believing that the government and our gallant security forces were doing everything within their power to secure the swift rescue of our children,” he said.
“However, that patience has now given way to deep anxiety and worry.”
Askira commended President Bola Tinubu and Borno State governor Babagana Zulum for their response to the crisis, praising efforts to address the wider security challenges facing the region.
He particularly welcomed Zulum’s visit to Askira/Uba following the attack, describing it as an important gesture of solidarity with affected families.
The stakeholders also used the occasion to renew calls for a stronger security presence in the area, warning that communities bordering the fringes of the Sambisa Forest remain especially exposed to attacks by insurgent groups.
Askira urged the authorities to establish a permanent and fortified security framework in the local government area, including enhanced protection for schools, forward operating bases, rapid-response units and sustained military patrols.
“Askira/Uba Local Government shares immediate borders with the fringes of the Sambisa Forest, making our communities uniquely vulnerable,” he said.
“Given this precarious geography, we request the immediate establishment of a permanent and fortified security architecture to provide the protection our people desperately need.”
The appeal comes amid renewed fears over the security of schools in north-eastern Nigeria following the abduction of 42 pupils and students from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School on 16 May.
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents were reported to have carried out the attack, reviving memories of a decade-long campaign of violence that has disrupted education across the region and left thousands of children displaced, traumatised or out of school.
Despite ongoing efforts by security agencies to secure their release, the children remained in captivity as of Monday, prompting fresh appeals from community leaders and relatives for urgent action to bring them home safely.
The incident has also reignited broader concerns about the vulnerability of rural schools in conflict-affected areas, where education continues to be one of the most visible targets of insurgent violence.
