ASKIRA-UBA, BORNO — Parents of 78 schoolchildren abducted in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State have postponed a planned protest at the Presidential Villa because they cannot afford the cost of travelling to Abuja. Forty-two pupils were abducted in Mussa on May 15, and 36 college students in Lassa on June 29, 2026. A six-day ultimatum the parents gave the Federal Government passed without response. Their chairman, Ishaku Suya, said they still intend to go and remain in Abuja until the President speaks to them. One parent, Sale Buba, told Daily Trust that pupils abducted in Oriire, Oyo State, were freed after 56 days, while the Borno children are still believed to be held in the Damboa forest. Other parents said their farms had been abandoned and no security official had contacted them. Governor Babagana Zulum raised the matter with President Bola Tinubu, who said the Army, DSS and the Office of the National Security Adviser would step up efforts.