By Chioma Obinna
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Tinubu to intensify efforts to rescue about 80 schoolchildren and teachers reportedly held captive by terrorists in Borno State, warning that their prolonged captivity must not be allowed to fade from national attention.
The rights group, in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, urged the President to ensure the safe return of the victims, who were reportedly abducted in separate attacks in Mussa and Lassa communities in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of the state between May and June 2026.
HURIWA said the situation required urgent presidential intervention, stronger coordination among security agencies and regular communication with affected families.
“The children must not be allowed to become forgotten victims of Nigeria’s protracted insecurity crisis,” the association said.
It stressed that the President, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, had a central responsibility to provide leadership and direction in the national security response, adding that the protection of lives and property remained a fundamental responsibility of government.
According to the group, reports surrounding the two abductions indicate that between 40 and 44 children were taken in the first incident, although the exact number remains disputed, while 36 pupils and a teacher were reportedly abducted in the second attack.
The group said the prolonged captivity had caused considerable distress among affected families, some of whom had publicly questioned the pace of efforts to secure their children’s release.
HURIWA also cited concerns raised by parents over the release of pupils abducted in a separate incident in Oyo State after 57 days, compared with the continued captivity of the Borno victims.
“The concerns expressed by the parents deserve urgent attention rather than repeated assurances without publicly verifiable progress,” the association said.
The group called on the Federal Government to intensify lawful, intelligence-led operations to secure the release of all the captives without exposing them to additional danger.
It also urged authorities to provide families with credible updates on rescue efforts while ensuring that information capable of compromising ongoing security operations was not disclosed.
Beyond the immediate rescue operation, the rights group called for a comprehensive review of the Safe School Initiative, introduced following the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State.
HURIWA argued that the persistence of school abductions more than a decade after the initiative was introduced underscored the need to strengthen its implementation, improve intelligence gathering and enhance coordination among security agencies.
It further called for greater accountability where security failures are established.
According to the association, school safety must extend beyond physical infrastructure to include effective early-warning systems, rapid emergency responses and stronger protection for communities surrounding vulnerable schools.
The group maintained that the safe return of the abducted children and their teachers should remain an urgent national priority, urging the President to demonstrate the leadership required to bring their ordeal to an end.
HURIWA said the Federal Government must combine operational action with credible communication to reassure affected communities and sustain public confidence in efforts to secure the captives’ release.
