Twenty-five days after the abduction of their children, parents of the Mussa schoolchildren in Borno State kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists have recounted their pain, as 42 children remain in captivity.
In exclusive interviews with LEADERSHIP, they recounted the events of the day, noting that the incident had caused intense emotional strain on their families.
While appealing to the state and federal governments to intensify efforts to secure the release of the children, the parents said the situation has led many families to withdraw their children from school for fear of another attack.
According to them, the day began like any other school day in Mussa, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, on 15 May 2026.
The children, dressed in their uniforms, filed into classes at Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School carrying notebooks, pencils and the hope that education would help them overcome the limitations imposed by the Boko Haram insurgency that has ravaged Borno State for more than a decade.
But by mid-morning, that hope was shattered. Boko Haram terrorists stormed the school compound, and amid the chaos, 42 pupils and students were abducted.
Parents who arrived to pick up their children at closing time found empty classrooms and eerie silence.
According to an account by the senator representing Southern Borno Senatorial District, Senator Ali Ndume, 32 pupils and students were taken from the school, while another 10 were seized from nearby homes.
Twenty-five days after the abduction, three parents of six of the 42 missing children have broken their silence to recount their ordeal.
Speaking to our correspondent, the parents described sleepless nights, empty meal tables and the agony of enduring each passing day without their children.
A farmer, Tafinda James, whose three children aged between eight and 12 years are among the captives, said he took them to school on the fateful day before heading to his farm. By mid-morning, however, news of the abduction had spread throughout the community.
He said when he rushed to the school with a few relatives, he discovered that all three of his children were among those abducted.
James added that many affected families initially believed security agencies would quickly pursue the terrorists and rescue the children. They waited on the school premises, hoping to be reunited with their loved ones, but their hopes soon turned into a nightmare.
“When I heard of the abduction, I quickly ran to the school with two of my relatives, but what we met at the school were deserted classrooms, with the atmosphere reflecting a community in disarray.
“From that moment, it appeared as if my world had come to an end. We have waited in pain and agony for the past 25 days without any update or clue from the government about the whereabouts of our abducted children,” he said.
The father of the three missing children appealed directly to Governor Babagana Umara Zulum and President Bola Tinubu to ensure the urgent rescue of the abductees, saying 25 days without news of their children felt like “a lifetime of fear”.
He urged the government to deploy more troops and strengthen intelligence gathering around schools to prevent similar attacks, warning that fear was already reducing school attendance in the community and surrounding areas.
For Sule Baba Musa, whose two children are among the 42 abducted schoolchildren, the incident has compounded the suffering of families already living under the constant threat of Boko Haram attacks in Askira-Uba.
He said insurgents frequently attack villages, kill residents, burn houses and loot foodstuffs and livestock.
Musa said his family gathers daily to pray for the safe return of the children, adding that the past 25 days had been a living nightmare.
