4 Days After, Borno, Oyo Schoolchildren Still In Captivity

Dozens of schoolchildren abducted by gunmen in Borno and Oyo states remain in captivity four days after the attacks.

The children were kidnapped last Friday.

More than 40 children were abducted from Government Day Secondary School and Mussa Central Primary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, while the exact number of victims abducted in Oyo State has yet to be confirmed.

Eyewitnesses who witnessed the Friday morning attack in Mussa, Borno State, said the gunmen used the children as human shields while fleeing on motorcycles, preventing security operatives from opening fire.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

‘We watched helplessly as insurgents marched children into bush’

Residents of Mussa said the terrorists appeared to have targeted the abduction of the 42 pupils of Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School.

Mussa is a remote community in Askira-Uba Local Government Area bordering the Sambisa Forest, a known enclave of Boko Haram insurgents.

Speaking with our correspondent, some grief-stricken parents and residents lamented that four days after the abduction, no group had contacted them or claimed responsibility.

One of the parents, Muhammad Saleh, said the family had endured sleepless nights since the children were taken away.

“This is the fourth day since my two children were abducted, and I have not slept. My wife hardly eats and cries all the time.

“We are deeply disturbed by the continued silence from the abductors. Nobody has contacted us or explained the reason for the abduction. The silence is tormenting us,” he said.

Narrating how the incident occurred, a parent who pleaded anonymity said the assailants stormed the village around 9 am on Friday and headed straight to the school.

“It was after they captured the children that we heard gunshots and realised what was happening. They led the children into the bush without anyone confronting them,” he said.

Some residents also said they watched helplessly as the insurgents moved the children from the school into the bush without resistance.

A resident, Yusuf Gapchia, whose son escaped the abduction, said the entire community had remained traumatised since the incident.

“In fact, nobody ate on the day the children were abducted. We cannot stop thinking about the tragedy.

“Some parents and security operatives summoned courage and pursued the insurgents. They spent the night in the bush searching but could not find any of the children,” he said.

Sources said the attackers carried out the operation on motorcycles, although some residents believed vehicles may have been hidden in the bush due to the large number of abductees.

Parents and residents also lamented that no government official had visited the community since the incident.

“The most painful part is that both the state and federal governments are acting as if nothing happened. Nobody has come to sympathise with us,” one parent said.

Parents fear children may be conscripted

Parents and residents expressed fears that the insurgents may attempt to recruit the abducted children into their ranks.

“This is the first time such a mass abduction is happening here. Our fear is that the terrorists may conscript the children if security operatives fail to rescue them quickly,” a resident said.

Another resident disclosed that the attackers had earlier raided two neighbouring villages on Thursday night before invading the school in Mussa.

“In Gandarma village, they killed one person, while in Banbasu village, they killed five people and burned several houses.

“It became clear that the attacks were meant to divert security attention before targeting the school,” he said.

He added that while isolated kidnappings had occurred in the area in the past, incidents involving children on such a scale were unprecedented.

“They used to abduct one or two adults and later release them. This is different from the North-West, where bandits kidnap for ransom,” he explained.

Residents also lamented that many children in the area no longer attend school due to fear of Boko Haram attacks.

“In many cases, schools have been destroyed by insurgents. Some children are now overage without access to formal or Islamic education,” he said.

He warned that keeping children out of school could make them vulnerable to recruitment by terrorists.

Ndume confirms 42 pupils abducted

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume confirmed that 42 pupils were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents.

Ndume said information from school authorities showed that 28 pupils were taken from the primary section, four students from Government Day Secondary School, and 10 other children from their homes.

The senator described the attack as traumatic, noting that the pupils were abducted during early morning classes.

He appealed to troops of Operation HADIN KAI and other security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims.

Ndume also linked the abduction to earlier attacks on Chibok communities, including Bambatsu and Ngadarma, where several people were killed and homes destroyed.

The Borno State Government on Sunday said it is working closely with security agencies to secure the release of the 42 schoolchildren.

Governor Babagana Zulum’s spokesperson, Dauda Iliya, disclosed this in a chat with journalists in Maiduguri.

He said Governor Zulum has remained in constant contact with security chiefs, including military and police authorities, since the incident occurred, as part of coordinated efforts to rescue the victims and ensure their safe return.

Oyo principal pleads for rescue from kidnappers’ den

The abducted principal of Community Grammar School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs Rachael Alamu, has appealed to the Federal Government and Governor Seyi Makinde to secure the release of the victims kidnapped during last Friday’s attack on schools in the area.

Gunmen on motorcycles attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinle; and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area.

One staff member was killed, while a principal, teachers and several pupils were abducted. Following the incident, the Oyo State Government ordered the closure of schools in the affected communities.

A video that surfaced online on Sunday showed Mrs Alamu speaking from captivity and pleading for urgent intervention.

“I am Mrs Alamu, principal of Community High School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. On Friday around 9:30am, we were attacked and many of us, including staff and students, were abducted,” she said.

She appealed to the Federal Government, Oyo State Government, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and ensure the safe release of the victims.

“We are pleading for help so that this situation can be resolved peacefully and no lives will be lost,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government said security operatives have trapped the suspected kidnappers within a section of the Old Oyo National Park as rescue efforts intensify.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ibadan on Saturday.

He said all possible escape routes have been sealed to prevent the suspects from fleeing into neighbouring states.

“The kidnappers have been effectively confined within the National Park axis following coordinated security operations aimed at preventing their movement into neighbouring states,” Oyelade said.

He explained that the operation began shortly after the attack and involved personnel of the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Agro Rangers and the Amotekun Corps.

Oyelade added that security operatives had surrounded the area, restricting the movement of the suspects and preventing possible escape into Kwara State and other neighbouring locations.

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had earlier visited the affected communities and sympathised with the families of victims killed during the attack.

List of abducted Borno schoolchildren

1. Saleh Buba Adams (4yrs)
2. Saleh Buba Musa (6yrs)
3. Ishaku Jidai Grace (4yrs)
4. Ishaku Jidai Rejoice (3yrs)
5. Araiju Salihu Mommy (2yrs)
6. Araiju Salihu Hezekiah (5yrs)
7. Araiju Salihu Haruna (3yrs)
8. Ntsasimda Janisu Hanatu (3yrs)
9. Ntsasimda Janisu Emma (7yrs)
10. Jidai Alamin Wadzani (2yrs)
11. Kaka James Amos (2yrs)
12. Yuguda Jilafuda Musa (15yrs)
13. Chaka Wadzani Jagula (19yrs)
14. Elijah Ngawmtu Omega (20yrs)
15. Bukar Buba Alheri (6yrs)
16. Chinda Buba Baby (3yrs)
17. Antikirya Chinampa Ribecah (6yrs)
18. Maina Janisu Halita (2yrs)
19. Maina Janisu Joy (6yrs)
20. Ntsasimda Janisu Japari (2yrs)
21. Yuguda Lalas Apagu (4yrs)
22. Adamu Garba Ummy (17yrs)
23. Dayam Alassan (10yrs)
24. Usman (12yrs)
25. Zamdai Wazamda (5yrs)
26. Ollu Giwamalgwi (5yrs)
27. Yusif Agwana (4yrs)
28. Yusif Agwana (3yrs)
29. Mallam Madu (9yrs)
30. Ularam Wadzani (5yrs)
31. Ularam Wadzani (3yrs)
32. Thlama Yohanna Grace (3yrs)
33. Laima Burda
34. Hyarawa Burda
35. Hyarawa Burda
36. Katsala Burda
37. Laima Burda
38. Bunu Huyim
39. Ommo
40. Fali Luka (12yrs)
Source: Jaduwa Wabba of Mussa district