By Abdulaziz Mohammed Malah
More than three weeks after the abduction of over forty children from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira, families of the victims say they are living through unbearable pain and uncertainty as there has been no contact from their captors.
The children, aged between two and seventeen years, were reportedly kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram insurgents during school hours on May 15, 2026, in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
For parents and relatives, each passing day without information about the whereabouts or condition of the children has heightened fears and emotional distress.
Speaking to Radio Nigeria, a relative of some of the abducted children, Mr. John Madaki, said the actual number of victims may be higher than initially reported. According to him, additional children were later discovered missing, while some persons who were not among the pupils were also taken away during the attack.
The pain is particularly severe for one family that lost nine children in the incident. A relative lamented that since the day of the abduction, no communication or demand has been received from the kidnappers, leaving families with little hope and many unanswered questions.
Residents of Askira described the atmosphere in the community as tense and traumatic, revealing that a seven-month-old baby was also allegedly snatched from its mother during the attack.
Briefing the press at the NUJ Sectetiat in Maiduguri, the Deputy Speaker, Borno State House of Assembly, Honourable Abdullahi Musa Askira, appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify rescue efforts.
He said the continued absence of information about the victims has compounded the suffering of affected families and urged authorities to deploy additional military and intelligence resources to secure their safe return.
As parents continue to wait and pray for the return of their children, the people of Askira say their greatest hope remains seeing the victims reunited with their families.
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