By Emma Peter
The International Human Rights Commission – Relief Fund Trust (IHRC-RFT), Nigeria Chapter, has called on the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the schoolchildren abducted from Mussa Community in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
The organisation made the call in a statement issued on Sunday, September 6, 2026, by its Country Director, Nigeria Chapter, Amb. Abdullahi Bakoji Adamu, obtained by Oxford Reporters, expressing concern over the continued captivity of the children more than 100 days after they were abducted.
According to Adamu, suspected terrorists attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School on May 15, 2026, and abducted dozens of pupils from their classrooms.
He said the Borno State Government had put the number of missing children at about 44, stressing that their prolonged captivity had caused severe emotional distress to their parents, families, teachers and members of the affected community.
“These are not statistics. They are someone’s sons and daughters,” Adamu said, adding that “every day they remain in captivity is another day of unbearable pain for their parents, siblings, teachers and the entire community.”
Adamu described the incident as a serious humanitarian and national security concern, warning that the abduction of children from schools could further undermine public confidence in the safety of educational institutions in conflict-affected areas.
“A school should be a place of safety, learning and hope—not a hunting ground for terrorists,” he said.
He called on the Federal Government, Nigerian Armed Forces, intelligence agencies, police and the Borno State Government to treat the safe recovery of the children as an urgent national priority.
“This is not only a humanitarian tragedy; it is an attack on the future of Nigeria,” Adamu said.
The IHRC-RFT Country Director urged the security agencies to intensify intelligence-led operations to locate and rescue the abducted pupils, while ensuring stronger coordination among the military, intelligence agencies, police and local security structures.
He also called for regular and credible communication with the affected families, saying parents should not be left in prolonged uncertainty over the whereabouts and safety of their children.
“Parents must not be left in uncertainty and anguish while their children remain in captivity,” he said.
Adamu further urged the government to strengthen security measures around schools in vulnerable communities, particularly those located near forests and areas where terrorist groups operate.
He recommended effective early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms to enable security agencies and communities to respond quickly to threats against schools and other vulnerable locations.
The organisation also called for psychological and humanitarian support for the affected families and a comprehensive security assessment of schools across Borno and other conflict-affected states.
According to Adamu, such measures are necessary to prevent a recurrence of school abductions similar to the Mussa incident and other attacks on educational institutions in Nigeria.
“We cannot remain silent when innocent children are held in captivity for months,” he said.
He said the government’s assurances that efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the abducted children must be matched with concrete results, stressing that the safety of the pupils should take precedence over political and institutional considerations.
“The safety and lives of these children must come before politics, bureaucracy or institutional rivalry,” Adamu said.
“Children are not legitimate targets. Education is not a crime. Innocent schoolchildren must never be used as instruments of terror,” he added.
“Every child rescued is a future restored. Every day of delay is another day of suffering,” Adamu said.
He appealed to the authorities to deploy all available intelligence and security capabilities towards securing the safe return of the children to their families, stressing that “our children must come home.”
“Nigeria cannot claim victory over terrorism while innocent schoolchildren remain in captivity,” he said.
He urged the government to act with “urgency, determination and every available intelligence and security capability” to bring the children safely back to their families.
