EXCLUSIVE: List of kidnapped children emerges, as parents detail horror of Borno attack

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Fresh accounts from parents in Mussa village, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, have revealed the devastating scale of Friday’s terrorist attack, with community leaders and affected families saying the number of missing children has risen to 51.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents attacked schools and homes in the rural community, initially leaving over 40 children unaccounted for. New community-based verification now suggests the figure may be significantly higher.

A verified register obtained by this newspaper from Mussa Ward councillor Peter Wabba identified 40 missing children by name, age, and family background. Community leaders say subsequent checks indicate that at least 51 children may have been abducted during the raid.

Most victims are toddlers and lower primary pupils

Parents told PREMIUM TIMES that the majority of the missing children are very young, many of them in nursery, Primary One, and Primary Two classes.

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Bukar Buba, a farmer whose six-year-old daughter is among the missing, said only four of the victims are aged 15 or above.

“Among the 51 missing children, only four are 15 years or older,” Mr Buba said. “Most are very young children, many under six.”

Community sources said some victims are as young as toddlers, revealing the extraordinary vulnerability of those taken.

‘The soldiers left shortly before the terrorists came’

Mr Bukar stated that attackers arrived less than 30 minutes after military reinforcements from Askira-Uba departed Mussa.

“There’s another set of soldiers from Askira-Uba that usually comes to support their colleagues here in Mussa,” he said.

“The soldiers left between 7:15 a.m to 8 a.m., and not quite 30 minutes later, the terrorists came.”

The claim has intensified community concerns over security lapses, and military authorities have not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

‘They came straight to the school’

Another parent, Chinda Buba, whose young daughter was abducted, said approximately 25 of the missing children were from the nursery section alone.

“Earlier yesterday, around 8 a.m., I was taking my children to school,” Mr Chinda said. “As I was leaving for the farm, I saw three military gun trucks departing. Their departure troubled the community.”

“It wasn’t up to 30 minutes later before the terrorists struck.”

Mr Chinda said the attackers stormed the combined nursery, primary, and junior secondary school complex located near routes leading toward Sambisa Forest.

“They came straight to the school, chased the pupils out, and the children scattered everywhere,” he said.

According to him, many older pupils managed to flee, but younger children were more vulnerable.

“They started picking the little children and loading them onto motorcycles,” he said.

Military reportedly unable to engage directly

Residents said the attackers arrived on about 18 motorcycles carrying multiple armed men.

Mr Chinda said soldiers stationed nearby were unable to fire directly because the insurgents had mixed themselves among fleeing children.

“The terrorists were mixed with the children, so the military had no way to stop them,” he said. “They could only shoot into the air.”

Families who fled to nearby mountains said they watched helplessly from a distance as the operation unfolded in under 30 minutes.

Mothers traumatised, families shattered

Parents described widespread grief across the community, with many mothers reportedly struggling emotionally.

Mr Chinda said his wife has found the ordeal particularly difficult.

“She is trying to cope, but it is very difficult,” he said.

He added that some households had two or three children abducted during the attack, deepening the trauma.

Security scrutiny intensifies

The incident has raised urgent questions about the protection of vulnerable schools and remote communities in insurgency-prone areas near Sambisa Forest.

Residents say the timing of troop movement and the inability to prevent the raid have heightened fear and frustration.

Efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to obtain updated comments from military authorities, including Operation Hadin Kai and Nigerian Army spokespersons, were unsuccessful as of press time. The officials did not answer phone calls or respond to text messages.

Parents’ desperate appeal

Affected families are urging the federal and Borno State governments, as well as security agencies, to intensify rescue operations.

“We just want our children back home safely,” one parent pleaded.

The latest attack has revived painful memories of previous mass school abductions in North-east Nigeria, including the Chibok and Dapchi kidnappings, while once again exposing the vulnerability of schools in conflict-affected communities.

For families in Mussa, however, the crisis is not historical; it is immediate, personal, and devastating.

List of 40 missing children

Mussa Ward Councillor Peter Wabba provided PREMIUM TIMES with a verified list of 40 named children. Community verification, however, puts the actual figure at 51, with 11 more still being documented. Only four of the abducted children are aged 15 and above.

Full List of 40 Abducted Children (from Councillor Peter Wabba)

Breakdown of the Abducted Children

Age Profile: Over 75% of the verified victims are below age 7. The list is dominated by nursery and lower primary pupils (Primary 1 and 2).

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Youngest Victims: Include a 1-year-7-month-old (Mommy), several 2-year-olds, and multiple 3-year-olds.

Multiple Children per Family: Several households lost more than one child. Notable cases include Araiju Salihu (3 children), Saleh Buba (2), Ishaku Jidai (2), Maina Janisu (2), Ntsasimda Janisu (multiple), and Ularam Wadzani (2).

School Sections: The majority came from the nursery section and early primary classes. This supports claims that around 25 nursery pupils were taken.

PREMIUM TIMES continues to monitor the development for further reports.

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