150 days after abduction: Borno parents shelve Abuja protest over logistics

Exactly 150 days after their children were abducted by terrorists, parents in Borno State have been forced to postpone a planned protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The families face poverty, lack of transportation, and the struggle to sustain food for their remaining dependents. The children were seized in two separate kidnappings in May and June 2026.

The parents initially gave the Federal Government a six-day ultimatum to rescue their children, but the deadline passed without any response. President Bola Tinubu's absence during this period also made a visit to Abuja impractical. The chairman of the Abducted Children's Parents Association, Ishaku Suya, explained that financial constraints prevented the families from traveling to Abuja and sustaining a prolonged protest.

Many families are trying to harvest crops to raise funds for the journey. The toll on the mothers is immense, with some abandoning their farms and failing to eat due to grief. Parents expressed anger over the government's inaction and perceived double standards in addressing security crises. Some claimed that while Oyo State's kidnapped children were freed in 56 days, Borno's children have been held for nearly five months without any government action. The parents are determined to storm the Presidential Villa once they have the resources to do so.