Group Condemns Tinubu’s ‘Silence’ Over 80 Schoolchildren Held Captive for 6 Months

ABUJA — “Nigerians should not have to beg their government to protect their lives.” This is the stinging reminder issued by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) as they demand that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rescue roughly 80 Borno schoolchildren and teachers left in the custody of terrorists for nearly six months.

For half a year, families in the Mussa and Lassa communities (Askira/Uba LGA, Borno State) have endured an agonising wait. Their nightmare began during a wave of attacks between May and June 2026, which saw dozens of children ripped from their classrooms.

Nigerian rights group HURIWA is demanding an end to what it terms the presidency’s “silence” on the matter.

The heartbreak of these families is compounded by a painful double standard. Parents are asking why their children are still missing after nearly 180 days, while students kidnapped in Oyo State were brought home safely after 57 days.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, stressed that these traumatized parents deserve transparent, verifiable updates from the Federal Government—not just empty platitudes.

HURIWA insists that the safe return of these pupils must be elevated to an urgent national priority. The group is calling for immediate, intelligence-driven operations to free the captives safely.

Beyond the immediate rescue, HURIWA is demanding accountability for the country’s broken security promises. Pointing to the Safe School Initiative—created over ten years ago after the heartbreaking 2014 Chibok abductions—the association notes that physical walls are clearly not enough.

To truly protect Nigerian children, HURIWA argues the government must deploy real-time early warning systems and provide robust protection for the communities surrounding vulnerable schools.