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, warning that their prolonged captivity must not be allowed to fade from public attention.

The association said the victims, abducted in separate attacks between May and June 2026, had reportedly spent nearly six months in captivity, raising concerns about the effectiveness of security measures to protect schools and vulnerable communities.

In a statement dated September 11, 2026, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, said the President had a constitutional and moral responsibility to ensure the safe return of the abducted victims.

It urged Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to provide decisive leadership and ensure effective coordination among security agencies to secure their release.

HURIWA said the continued captivity of the victims had caused severe distress among their families, some of whom had questioned why their children remained in captivity while pupils abducted in a separate incident in Oyo State were released after 57 days.

The association said the families’ concerns deserved urgent attention, adding that repeated assurances from the authorities should be accompanied by verifiable progress in rescue efforts.

The victims were reportedly abducted in two separate attacks in Mussa and Lassa communities in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

While reports indicated that between 40 and 44 children were taken in the first attack, the exact number remained disputed. In the second incident, 36 pupils and a teacher were reportedly abducted.

HURIWA called on the Federal Government to intensify lawful, intelligence-led operations to secure the release of all the captives without exposing them to further danger.

It also urged the authorities to provide affected families with credible updates on rescue efforts while ensuring that information capable of compromising ongoing security operations was not disclosed.

Beyond the immediate rescue operation, the association called for a comprehensive review of the Safe School Initiative, introduced following the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State.

It said the persistence of school abductions more than a decade after the initiative was introduced underscored the need for stronger implementation, improved intelligence gathering, better coordination among security agencies and accountability for security lapses.

According to HURIWA, school safety should extend beyond physical infrastructure to include effective early-warning systems, rapid emergency responses and adequate protection for communities surrounding vulnerable schools.

The association maintained that the government had a fundamental responsibility to protect lives and property and promote the welfare of citizens, stressing that families should not have to plead for action to secure the release of their abducted children.

It urged the President to make the safe return of the pupils and their teachers a national priority, warning that they must not become forgotten victims of the country’s prolonged insecurity crisis.

HURIWA said decisive action and sustained attention were needed to bring the victims’ ordeal to an end.