“A nation that cannot protect its children has lost its soul. A government that abandons them has lost its moral compass.”
The Mercy Helpline Initiative (MHI) issues this statement with a heavy heart and a burning conscience. Today marks over 130 days since armed men tore innocent children from their classrooms in Mussa and Lassa communities of Borno State. 44 pupils from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, abducted on May 15, 2026. 36 students from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, taken alongside their teacher on June 29, 2026. 80 children. 80 dreams. 80 Nigerians abandoned in the shadows of captivity — and a teacher taken with them.
Schools have resumed. But 80 seats remain empty.
While children across Nigeria return to their classrooms, sharpen their pencils, and dream of a brighter future, these children are waking up in the forest — hungry, terrified, and wondering if anyone remembers them. Their classmates sit in silence. Their teachers stare at empty chairs. Their parents weep without answers.
This is not a security challenge.
This is a moral emergency.
We have heard the explanations. The tactical dilemma. The threats from captors. The delicate nature of negotiations. We understand the complexity. But 130 days of complexity is 130 days of failure. No parent should wait four months to know if their child is alive. No child should spend an entire school term in the hands of kidnappers. No teacher should die or disappear for doing the noble work of educating our future.
The Oyo children came home in 56 days. Why are Borno’s children still gone after 130?
The answer is simple, and it is painful: Urgency is unequal. Protection is unequal. Concern is unequal. A child in Oyo is not more Nigerian than a child in Borno. A teacher in the South-West is not more valuable than a teacher in the North-East. Yet, the response tells a different story.
MHI commends the parents of Mussa and Lassa for their courage. Defying heavy rains, they marched. They protested. They issued a six-day ultimatum to the Federal Government: rescue our children or they will take their grief to the gates of the Presidential Villa. They have waited long enough. They have begged long enough. Now, they are demanding.
To President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: History will judge you not by the speeches you deliver, but by the children you rescue. These 80 children are not statistics. They are your responsibility. The Constitution you swore to protect guarantees their right to life, liberty, and dignity. Deploy everything — intelligence, special forces, aerial surveillance, negotiation experts. Explore every option. Exhaust every strategy. Bring them home.
To Governor Babagana Umara Zulum: You have been a champion of Borno’s recovery. Do not let these children become permanent casualties of an unfinished war. Their parents voted for hope. Give them action.
To the Nigerian military and security agencies: We honour your sacrifices. We know the risks. But these children cannot wait for perfect conditions. The rainy season is upon us — floods, disease, and exposure threaten their lives every single day. The window is closing. Act now.
To the captors: History is littered with the ruins of those who preyed on innocent children. Release them now, before the weight of this crime follows you for the rest of your days.
We demand:
1. Immediate and unconditional release of all 80 abducted children and their teacher
2. Transparent, daily updates to the families and the Nigerian public
3. A unified, urgent rescue operation that prioritizes the children’s safety above all else
4. Accountability for those who have delayed, dismissed, or downplayed this crisis
5. Equal protection for every Nigerian child, regardless of region, religion, or ethnicity
Every child deserves to be in a classroom, not a cage.
Every teacher deserves to teach, not to tremble.
Every parent deserves to tuck their child into bed, not to wonder if they are still breathing.
At Mercy Helpline Initiative, we live by one motto: Giving Relevance to Life. Those 80 children — and their teacher — are not forgotten. They are not abandoned. They are not invisible. Their lives matter. Their future matters. Their rescue is non-negotiable.
130 days is enough. Bring them home.
Signed,
Samuel Solomon
Executive Director
Mercy Helpline Initiative (MHI)
For media inquiries, please contact:
Mercy Helpline Initiative (MHI)
📞 +234 806 127 3237
📧 mercyhelplineinitiative@gmail.com
#BringBackBornoChildren #130DaysTooLong #TheirLivesMatter #GiveRelevanceToLife #MHI #Nigeria
