The Ashlee Momoh Foundation has appealed to the Federal Government and international organisations to intensify efforts to rescue schoolchildren and toddlers abducted from Lassa and Mussa communities in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
The appeal was made at a rally in Abuja on Tuesday, as the children reportedly approached 150 days in captivity.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 78 children were abducted on May 15 from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School and nearby homes in Askira-Uba Local Government Area. The victims reportedly included nursery school pupils.
The foundation’s convener, Mrs Ashlee Momoh, said the rally was organised following appeals from the affected parents, who had been traumatised by the prolonged captivity of their children.
“The parents reached out to us, and they’ve been traumatised. So, they needed our help, and that’s why we are here,” she said.
Momoh urged the government and other stakeholders to intensify strategic military operations to address the lingering security crisis and secure the children’s immediate release and reunion with their families.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the parents and loved ones who have been subjected to severe emotional and psychological trauma all this while.
“Prayers must, however, be matched with decisive action. Our gallant military officers are fully capable of neutralising the abductors and rescuing our children,” she said.
She cited the military’s swift response to the school abduction incident in Oyo State as evidence of its capacity to rescue the children, stressing that the abductees deserved the same freedom and opportunities as other Nigerian children.
Momoh called for their immediate rescue and reunion with their parents, emphasising the need to restore their hope and secure their future.
“For the children to be rescued, to reunite with their parents, to have hope again and to have a future, because education is not a crime,” she said.
She also expressed concern about the potential psychological effects of the prolonged captivity, calling for rehabilitation and other support services to help the children recover from their ordeal and reintegrate into society after their rescue.
The rally featured a procession from Unity Fountain through parts of the Federal Capital Territory to the United Nations (UN) office, where participants displayed placards calling for urgent intervention.
At the UN office, the participants appealed to the organisation and other international bodies to intervene and support efforts to secure the children’s safe return.
A letter from the affected parents, addressed to the UN, was received on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator by Mr Senu Kufe, Chief Security Adviser of the United Nations in Nigeria.
Kufe urged the parents to remain hopeful and assured Momoh that the UN would do its best to look into the situation.
Hon. Faith Joshua, a participant from Plateau State, said she joined the rally because she empathised with the affected families as a mother.
“My message to the government and other relevant people is that I’m seriously in pain. We’re praying and begging; we’re not protesting,” Joshua said.
While acknowledging the efforts of security agencies, she urged them to intensify operations to secure the children’s release.
She also appealed to other countries to intervene and support efforts to bring the abductees home safely.
