Borno Parents Accuse FG of Neglecting 42 Abducted Children

MAIDUGURI — Parents of the 42 pupils abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State have publicly accused the Federal Government of neglect. They said Abuja has shown far greater urgency in responding to the Oyo State school abductions than to their children’s captivity.

The accusation came as a high-powered presidential delegation visited affected communities in Oyo State following the Oriire attack. The Borno parents said no comparable delegation has visited their community despite their children having been abducted by Boko Haram fighters weeks before the Oyo attack.

One father, who asked not to be named, said the message being sent to Borno parents is clear. “It seems our children’s lives matter less. We are in the northeast. Nobody is coming. Nobody is explaining anything to us,” he said in an interview with Daily Trust.

The Double Standard Allegation

The Borno parents’ allegation of differential treatment reflects a broader and painful complaint from northeast communities that have lived with school abductions, mass killings, and displacement for over a decade without receiving the national attention given to incidents in other regions.

Since the Chibok abduction in 2014, northeastern communities have accused successive governments of a short attention span. High-profile moments generate national outrage and government responses. But weeks later, with cameras gone, the victims are forgotten and the underlying security failures remain unaddressed.

The Presidency had not formally responded to the Borno parents’ specific allegation as of Wednesday morning. National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu said through a spokesperson that all abduction cases across the country are being treated with equal urgency by security agencies.