Parents and residents of communities affected by recent school abductions in Borno State have urged the Federal Government to replicate the intelligence-led operation used to rescue 44 abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State.
The residents, while commending the successful rescue of the students and teachers kidnapped from Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State, called for urgent action to secure the release of 78 students still being held by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in separate attacks in Borno.
West Trybe reports that the demand followed the rescue operation in Oyo State, which residents described as a sign that coordinated security efforts could successfully free victims of school abductions.
On May 16, suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting 42 students and pupils.
Similarly, on June 29, terrorists invaded Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, also in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, where 36 students and one teacher were taken away.
A father of one of the abducted students in Lassa, Ibrahim Millam, said families had been living in uncertainty since the attack, with no information about the whereabouts of their children.
“Since they took my daughter, Ester Ibrahim, and her fellow students, we have not heard any information,” he said.
Millam appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the students, saying parents had been left traumatised by the prolonged silence.
“It has been silence; no information about their whereabouts. We commend the Federal Government for rescuing the Oyo students. Please, our children should not be allowed to die in captivity. They are our hope. We are not at peace in our homes,” he added.
Similarly, a resident of Mussa community, Sani Abdullahi, said the continued captivity of the students had caused emotional distress among families.
“It is unfortunate that our children are still in captivity after almost two months now. Parents are losing hope. If you visit families of victims now, it is tears upon tears,” he said.
Abdullahi said communities had made several appeals to authorities through their representatives but were yet to receive concrete updates on rescue efforts.
“We have had meetings, sent our pleas through representatives to the government, yet it has continued silence. All we get in return is assurance. When are they coming back?” he asked.
A public affairs analyst in Borno State, Abubakar Kareto, described the Oyo rescue operation as a major achievement, saying the same approach should be adopted in Borno.
“The successful rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area after 56 days was a major victory and a thing of joy to Nigerians. The rescue, achieved through the efforts of security agencies, precisely the military, police and DSS, has restored hope,” Kareto said.
He urged the Federal Government to deploy the same intelligence-driven strategy used in Oyo to rescue the Borno students and strengthen protection for vulnerable schools.
“The successful intelligence-led rescue model from Oyo must be immediately deployed in Borno. The government must proactively enforce the Safe Schools Initiative and build a unified intelligence-sharing network with state and local security structures to stop abductions before they happen,” he said.
Meanwhile, the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, threatened protests if the abducted students were not rescued.
Kaigama called on the Borno State Government and other relevant authorities to take urgent action to secure the release of the students abducted from Mussa and Lassa communities.
West Trybe reports that the renewed calls for action highlight growing concerns over the safety of schools in conflict-affected communities in Borno, where insurgency continues to disrupt education and expose students and teachers to security threats.
