The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged President Bola Tinubu to intensify efforts to rescue about 80 schoolchildren and teachers reportedly held captive by terrorists in Borno State for nearly six months.
The group said the prolonged captivity required urgent presidential intervention, stressing that affected families deserved credible updates on rescue efforts.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA said Tinubu had a constitutional and moral responsibility to protect Nigerians as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
It expressed concern that the victims had remained in captivity for months, raising questions about security measures to protect vulnerable communities and schools.
The victims were reportedly abducted in two separate attacks on Mussa and Lassa communities in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State between May and June 2026.
Reports cited by HURIWA indicated that between 40 and 44 children were taken in the first attack, although the exact number remains disputed. In the second incident, 36 pupils and a teacher were reportedly abducted.
The group said the victims’ families had continued to suffer emotional distress, with some questioning why their children remained in captivity while pupils abducted in a separate Oyo State incident were reportedly released after 57 days.
HURIWA called on the Federal Government to intensify intelligence-led operations and improve coordination among security agencies to secure the captives’ release without exposing them to further danger.
It also urged the authorities to provide families with credible updates while protecting sensitive information that could compromise rescue operations.
The association called for a comprehensive review of the Safe School Initiative, introduced after the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State.
It said recurring school abductions underscored the need for stronger implementation, improved intelligence gathering, functional early-warning systems and faster emergency responses.
HURIWA also urged the government to strengthen security around vulnerable schools and neighbouring communities.
The group called on Tinubu to make the safe return of the abducted children and their teachers a national priority, warning that they must not become forgotten victims of Nigeria’s insecurity crisis.