Borno community to Tinubu, Zulum: Bring our 78 children home

The abductions removed children from their communities and left their families waiting for news. The victims came from Mussa and Lassa, both in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State. Their continued captivity is the central concern raised by the Margi community.

The first incident occurred in Mussa on May 15, 2026. Forty-three pupils were abducted there. The second occurred in Lassa on June 26, when 35 students and a teacher were taken from a secondary school as they prepared for national examinations.

The community is asking President Bola Tinubu, Governor Babagana Zulum, and security agencies to intensify rescue efforts. It also wants regular updates for the affected families, stronger protection around vulnerable schools, and support for the victims after their return. The demand is for every child and the teacher to be safely reunited with their families.

The reported total is 79 people if the teacher is included: 78 schoolchildren and one teacher. The article describes the children as being held after separate abductions in Mussa and Lassa communities in Askira/Uba Local Government Area.

Mussa accounts for 43 pupils. They were abducted on May 15, 2026. Lassa accounts for 35 students, who were taken on June 26 from a secondary school while preparing for national examinations. A teacher was abducted in the same Lassa incident.

This division matters because the cases involve two communities and two school settings. The Margi community is urging authorities to treat both incidents as an urgent, continuing rescue priority. It is also asking for reliable communication with families, without compromising security operations, until the children and teacher are safely brought home.

Kidnapping is the unlawful seizure or detention of people against their will, often to pressure others or demand an outcome. In this case, children and a teacher were taken from schools and remain in captivity. Their safety makes the incident especially urgent for families and government.

Schools can be vulnerable during armed conflict because students gather in known places and follow regular schedules. That concentration can expose many people at once. Children also require protection and may be used to create intense public pressure. The article specifically describes the schools as vulnerable and calls for better security around them.

The Mussa and Lassa incidents show the human cost of that vulnerability. Forty-three pupils were taken in Mussa, while 35 students and a teacher were taken in Lassa. The community wants rescue efforts, stronger school protection, and medical, psychological, and educational support when the victims return.

The response requires different institutions to act together. President Bola Tinubu has national responsibility for mobilising security and intelligence resources and ensuring that agencies coordinate effectively. Governor Babagana Zulum is urged to make the rescue a priority and create a reliable channel for family updates.

Security agencies must use coordinated operations to pursue the victims’ safe recovery without compromising their safety. The article also asks elected representatives, including Senator Ali Ndume and others from Askira/Uba, to use their positions to maintain pressure on authorities. Their role includes keeping the issue active in public and official discussions.

The community’s demands go beyond the immediate rescue. It wants stronger protection around vulnerable schools and medical, psychological, and educational support for victims after they return. The central responsibility remains bringing the children and teacher safely back to their families while keeping affected families informed.

Continued captivity causes direct emotional harm to families. The Margi community says parents are living with anguish while their children remain missing. It also says families need regular information about the victims’ whereabouts, provided in a way that does not endanger rescue operations.

Education has also been affected. The 35 Lassa students were taken from a secondary school as they prepared for national examinations. Their abduction interrupts their schooling and examination preparation. The community therefore called for educational support when the children return, alongside medical and psychological care.

The wider community is pressing government because development cannot be separated from children’s safety and family welfare. The captivity has made rescue a shared public concern in Mussa, Lassa, and Askira/Uba. Until the victims return, families remain distressed, schooling remains disrupted, and the community continues demanding action and updates.

Coordination matters because hostage-rescue operations involve incomplete information and serious risks. Intelligence agencies may gather and assess information, while security agencies plan and conduct operations. Sharing reliable information helps them work toward the same objective instead of duplicating efforts or creating dangerous gaps.

The article directly calls on President Tinubu to ensure effective coordination among security agencies. It also asks for the necessary security and intelligence resources. Together, those measures provide a structure for identifying the victims’ situation, planning a response, and protecting the children and teacher during any rescue attempt.

The current priority is safe recovery, not simply a rapid operation. The community also wants regular updates for affected families, but without compromising security operations. Strong coordination can help authorities balance both needs. The community is urging agencies to sustain rescue efforts until every child and the teacher is reunited with family.

Section 14(2)(b) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution identifies the security and welfare of the people as the primary purpose of government. The Margi community cites this provision to frame the abductions as a constitutional responsibility, not a favour or optional act of assistance.

Applied to this case, the duty requires authorities to keep working for the safe recovery of the 78 children and their teacher. It also means mobilising security and intelligence resources, coordinating agencies, and making the rescue a priority. Families should receive reliable updates, provided security operations are not endangered.

The community connects security with broader welfare. It calls for better protection around vulnerable schools and medical, psychological, and educational support after the victims return. It also urges elected representatives to maintain pressure on authorities. The constitutional principle therefore supports immediate rescue and continuing care for victims, families, and affected communities.