MBF Raises Alarm Over ‘Forgotten’ Abducted Children in Southern Borno, Southern Kaduna

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has accused the Federal Government, state authorities, security agencies, civil society groups and the media of neglecting dozens of school children and other victims abducted by terrorists in Southern Borno and Southern Kaduna, despite the nationwide attention given to the recent rescue of abducted school children in Oyo State.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its spokesman, Luka Binniyat, the Forum congratulated the Federal Government and security agencies for securing the release of school children and teachers abducted in Oyo State on May 15, 2026, describing their safe return as a welcome relief to their families and Nigerians.

However, MBF argued that the successful rescue operation highlights what it called a disturbing disparity in the attention given to victims of similar attacks in other parts of the country.

The Forum noted that on the same day the Oyo abduction occurred, Boko Haram insurgents attacked Government Day Secondary School, Mussa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State and abducted 42 children, including toddlers as young as two years old.

According to MBF, the victims from Mussa have received little public attention, with limited response from government institutions, civil society organisations, professional bodies and the media.

“While the entire nation rightly mobilised in support of the Oyo victims, the children of Mussa have suffered in almost complete silence,” the statement said.

The Forum also recalled another attack on June 29, 2026, when terrorists reportedly stormed Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in the same local government area during secondary school examinations, abducting 36 students and a staff member while killing at least one teacher.

It expressed concern that public attention quickly shifted away from the incident despite the continued captivity of the victims.

MBF further cited the August 2025 abduction of seven children from Shikarkir in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, noting that the children remain in captivity nearly a year later without sustained public campaigns for their release.

The group said a similar pattern of neglect is evident in Southern Kaduna.

It referenced the April 6, 2026 attack on churches in Ariko Village, Kachia Local Government Area, where seven worshippers were killed and 37 others abducted during Easter Sunday services. Among those abducted were women, children and an elderly blind man.

According to the Forum, many of the victims remain in captivity, while reports indicate that some have died due to the harsh conditions of their detention.

The statement also mentioned an attack on Awon Community in Kachia LGA on April 20, 2026, during which two people were killed and 11 others abducted.

The Forum criticised what it described as the continued allocation of public resources to rehabilitation programmes for repentant Boko Haram members and bandits while many innocent citizens remain in terrorist captivity.

“The Middle Belt Forum believes that no government should appear more concerned about rehabilitating criminals than rescuing innocent citizens still held by those same criminals,” the statement said.

MBF warned that the silence of both federal and state authorities risks creating the impression that some Nigerian lives are valued more than others.

The organisation called on the governments of Borno and Kaduna states to demonstrate the same commitment shown by Oyo State authorities during efforts to secure the release of abducted school children and to provide regular updates to affected families.

It also urged the Federal Government to intensify rescue operations for all citizens still held by terrorists, including victims from Mussa, Lassa, Shikarkir, Ariko and Awon communities.

The Forum further appealed to the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) to extend the same advocacy and solidarity it demonstrated for the Oyo victims to teachers and pupils affected by attacks in Southern Borno.

It also called on civil society organisations, human rights groups, religious leaders, development partners, the media and the international community to keep the plight of the abducted victims in public focus until they regain their freedom.

“The rescue of the Oyo victims has demonstrated that determined action can produce results. The same commitment must now be extended to every Nigerian still in captivity,” the Forum stated.