FG, military silent over abduction of 51 pupils in Borno
Silence has greeted the abduction on Friday of 51 pupils from a primary school in Mussa village, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
Since the incident, neither the Nigerian military nor the federal government has issued a formal, direct statement regarding the abduction of the pupils in Askira-Uba.
The military, Police, and the Federal Government have largely remained silent regarding the specific details of the rescue, drawing heavy criticism from public commentators and activists.
Residents said most of those abducted are less than six years old.
At least 40 of the abducted children were identified and listed in a register by the Mussa Ward Councillor, Peter Wabba. Subsequent checks indicate that at least 51 children may have been abducted during the raid, most of them toddlers and lower primary pupils
Bukar Buba, a farmer whose six-year-old daughter is among the missing, said only four of the victims are aged 15 or above.
“Among the 51 missing children, only four are 15 years or older,” Mr Buba said. “Most are very young children, many under six.”
Bukar stated that attackers arrived less than 30 minutes after military reinforcements from Askira-Uba departed Mussa.
“There’s another set of soldiers from Askira-Uba that usually comes to support their colleagues here in Mussa,” he said.
“The soldiers left between 7:15 a.m to 8 a.m., and not quite 30 minutes later, the terrorists came.”
Another parent, Chinda Buba, whose young daughter was abducted, said approximately 25 of the missing children were from the nursery section alone.
“Earlier yesterday, around 8 a.m., I was taking my children to school,” Mr Chinda said. “As I was leaving for the farm, I saw three military gun trucks departing. Their departure troubled the community.”
“It wasn’t up to 30 minutes later before the terrorists struck.”
Chinda said the attackers stormed the combined nursery, primary, and junior secondary school complex located near routes leading toward Sambisa Forest.
“They came straight to the school, chased the pupils out, and the children scattered everywhere,” he said.
According to him, many older pupils managed to flee, but younger children were more vulnerable.
“They started picking the little children and loading them onto motorcycles,” he said.
Residents said the attackers arrived on about 18 motorcycles carrying multiple armed men.
Chinda said soldiers stationed nearby were unable to fire directly because the insurgents had mixed themselves among fleeing children.
“The terrorists were mixed with the children, so the military had no way to stop them,” he said. “They could only shoot into the air.”
Families who fled to nearby mountains said they watched helplessly from a distance as the operation unfolded in under 30 minutes.
Parents described widespread grief across the community, with many mothers reportedly struggling emotionally.
Chinda said his wife has found the ordeal particularly difficult. “She is trying to cope, but it is very difficult.”
He added that some households had two or three children abducted during the attack, deepening the trauma.
The incident has raised urgent questions about the protection of vulnerable schools and remote communities in insurgency-prone areas near Sambisa Forest.
Residents say the timing of troop movement and the inability to prevent the raid have heightened fear and frustration.
There has been no comment on the incident from the military and the government, making affected families to urge the federal and Borno State governments, as well as security agencies, to intensify rescue operations.
“We just want our children back home safely,” one parent pleaded.
Shortly after the abduction, Borno State Government confirmed that an abduction took place and stated they are holding high-level meetings with security agencies to ensure the safe release of the captives.
Also, the Senator representing the area, Ali Ndume said over 42 pupils and children were taken during the raid and urged troops of Operation Hadin Kai and other security agencies to intensify rescue efforts.
The Borno State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Abdullahi Askira, who represents the constituency, confirmed the school invasion by terrorists and provided local accounts of the incident.
