Human rights advocacy group Amnesty International Nigeria has strongly condemned the failure of Nigerian authorities to secure the safe return of 42 schoolchildren abducted from the Mussa community in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, marking 144 days since their kidnapping.
​The 42 pupils were forcibly taken from their school in the early hours of May 15, 2026, by armed insurgents believed to be associated with Boko Haram or ISWAP operates out of the nearby Sambisa Forest enclave.
​In an official statement released on October 6, 2026, from the organization’s national headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, Amnesty International voiced deep concern over the escalating trend of mass abductions targeting educational institutions.
​Speaking on behalf of the organization, Isa Sanusi, Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, underscored the worsening humanitarian and security conditions facing young learners in the North-East region.
​”No child should go through what children are going through now in Nigeria. Education should not be a matter of life and death for anyone. Nigeria is failing children once again in a horrifying manner,” Sanusi stated. “The Nigerian authorities must provide protection for schools and children. Attacks on schools are a violation of international law, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.”
​The milestone marks nearly five months of agonizing uncertainty for families in Askira/Uba. Following the kidnapping, distressed parents and local leaders, led in part by Hon. Abdullahi Askira, Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, staged public demonstrations demanding immediate intervention from both state and federal authorities.
​Despite military operations and assurances from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, no official rescue update has been released regarding the missing pupils.
​Human rights observers report that mass kidnappings have forced hundreds of schools across Borno, Yobe, and Kaduna states to close indefinitely, stripping thousands of children of basic education.
​Amnesty International has reiterated its call for the Nigerian government to deploy better intelligence strategies, establish effective early-warning systems for vulnerable rural communities, and ensure that those responsible for school raids are identified and prosecuted under fair legal proceedings.
