Families Protest Over Abducted Nigerian Children

Families of children abducted from schools in northeastern Nigeria have protested, demanding government action to secure their release nearly 100 days after the students were taken.

The children were seized from their classrooms on May 15 in Mussa, a community near the Sambisa Forest in Borno State, a stronghold of Islamist militants.

A community representative said about 45 children from Mussa remain unaccounted for. Families gathered in Uba town on Thursday, holding placards and calling for authorities to bring the children home.

The abduction was followed by another attack in nearby Lassa on June 29, where 36 students and a teacher were also taken and remain in captivity.

Parents said they have received no information about the whereabouts or condition of their children, leaving families in constant fear.

“We do not know where our children are. We don’t know whether they are healthy or going through difficult conditions,” said Chinda Buba, whose child was among those abducted.

Peace Nicolos, whose two young children were taken, said families were struggling with anxiety and appealed to the government to intensify efforts to rescue them.

The abductions have renewed concerns over the security of schools in Borno, where Boko Haram and its Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) offshoot continue to carry out attacks despite years of military operations.

SOURCE: Reuters