Parents of 78 schoolchildren abducted in Borno State have postponed a planned mass protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, 150 days after the first abduction. The families say poverty and a lack of transport fares forced the delay.

The children were taken in two attacks in Askira-Uba Local Government Area. Forty-two pupils of Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School were abducted on May 15, 2026. On June 29, 2026, 36 students and a teacher were seized from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, while sitting their NECO examinations. The Federal Government puts the number of abducted Mussa children at 44.

Pressure has built for months. Zulum met the Mussa parents days after the first abduction. On August 20, 2026, parents protested in Uba, and on August 21 relatives and community leaders held a press conference at the National Assembly in Abuja to mark 100 days in captivity. The same day, Governor Babagana Zulum told parents in Maiduguri that the Federal and state governments had stepped up rescue efforts. Senator Ali Ndume has also urged the Army to redouble its efforts.

The families then issued a six-day ultimatum, running from September 21 to 27, 2026. It expired without any official response, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was out of the country, making a trip to Abuja impractical.

Ishaku Suya, chairman of the Abducted Children's Parents Association, said the group needs enough money to travel, stay in Abuja and resettle its members afterwards. Many parents are harvesting crops to raise funds, he said, adding that some mothers have stopped eating and abandoned their farms in grief.

Parents also accuse the government of double standards. Children abducted in Oriire LGA, Oyo State, on the same day as the Mussa pupils were freed on July 10, 2026, after 56 days. Sale Buba asked why drones and senior military officers were not deployed in Borno.

Despite the delay, the parents say the trip is still on. "We are determined to remain there until we are granted an audience," said Josephine Fadi.

Zulum said on Friday, October 9, that President Tinubu had assured him the Army, the State Security Service and the Office of the National Security Adviser would intensify rescue efforts. Parents say no security officials have since reached them. On Sunday, October 11, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) urged the President to act decisively.