By Luka Binniyat and Suleman Ayuba
(Kaduna) – Parents of Christian children suffering torture in terrorist camps since May 15 are railing against the government for trying to shut them up with hush money.
Growing outrage over the captivity of dozens of schoolchildren abducted by terrorists has exposed a sharp contrast between the reactions of affected communities in Borno and Oyo states, even as teachers across Nigeria begin protests and strike actions over the worsening violence against schools.
When N10m ($8,000 dollars) ‘Donation’ Buys Silence
Findings indicate that many parents of the abducted Christian schoolchildren from Mussa community in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State have largely remained silent following the presentation of a N10 million support package by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum to the affected community after the May 15, 2026 abduction.
The terrorists had stormed Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School and surrounding areas, abducting 42 persons, including dozens of pupils who are all Christians.
Reports indicated that the governor later visited the community, met with traditional rulers and families, pledged intensified rescue efforts, and approved financial assistance to cushion the immediate hardship facing the affected families. According to official accounts, the governor also assured residents that security agencies were working tirelessly to secure the release of the victims.
While some parents privately expressed concern that public criticism could complicate rescue efforts, no significant protest has emerged from the community since the government intervention.
Mussa Ward is one of the political wards in Askira/Uba county, located in the southern part of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria. The ward is situated within the semi-arid Sudan Savannah zone close to the foothills of the Mandara Mountain region near the Nigeria Cameroon border.
Borno South Youth Alliance (BSYA), an activist body in Borno State, condemned the donation as “hush money” in a press statement.
The group rejected the gesture, saying that it aimed to silence the parents of the victims.
“By giving money to the parents of these children while they remain missing is a shameless tactic of blackmailing the parents not to protest the inefficiency of both the Federal and Borno State government,” said Dr. Pogu Bitrus, President, Middle Belt Forum (MBF) to TruthNigeria from Abuja, Wednesday, May 4, 2026.
“The government knows how poor and desperate these farmers are,” he said, “so they use money to put them in a moral quagmire,” he added.
Whereas, Boko Haram (Western learning forbidden) has been identified as the kidnapping agency in Borno, the armed killers that attacked three schools in Ahoro/Esiele, community, Oriire county of Oyo state, South West, Nigeria on May 15, abducting scores of pupils and teachers, have not been conclusively linked to Boko Haram.
The terrorists who attacked the school the same day as Government Day Secondary School, Mussa, also beheaded a school teacher, widely believed to be a signature of ISIS-linked Boko Haram.
Oyo Parents Reject Funds
The reaction of the Oyo parents and their communities has been in sharp contrast with the Borno parents.
Since the May 15 kidnapping, anger has continued to mount among residents and relatives of the victims as widely reported in the news.
The Sun has reported that families of pupils and teachers kidnapped by terrorists in Oyo State turned down rice and cash reportedly offered to them by government officials.
“We don’t want rice. We don’t want money. Bring back our children,” one parent was quoted in Vanguard newspaper as saying during a protest in Ogbomoso, where demonstrators took to the streets demanding urgent government action.
The protests have since spread beyond Oyo, drawing support from labour activists, civil society organisations, students, and human rights campaigners in several states.
Among the prominent voices joining the agitation is activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, who led solidarity protests in Abuja – Nigeria’s capital city – demanding the immediate rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers and stronger government action against mass kidnappings.
Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters is a renowned human rights activist and former Presidential Candidate of Alliance for Democracy Change in the 2023 Nigerian presidential elections.
Demonstrators carried placards condemning the worsening security situation and accusing authorities of failing to protect schoolchildren.
The escalating tension has now triggered vigorous action by teachers.
Mass Protest Continues
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State directed all public primary and secondary school teachers to withdraw their services indefinitely beginning June 1, citing the continued captivity of the victims and the need to compel authorities to act decisively.
Public schools across the state reportedly recorded near-total compliance with the directive.
The union warned that teachers across the country were increasingly alarmed by the growing frequency of attacks on educational institutions and the apparent inability of authorities to guarantee the safety of pupils and staff.
A statement by the union said, “The safety of teachers and schoolchildren must become a national priority.”
Activist teachers have noted that not a single mention of the Mussa School kidnapping was mentioned, as reported by Punch.
For many Nigerians, the contrasting reactions from Mussa and Oyo underscore a broader national dilemma: whether communities should remain patient and trust official assurances or sustain public pressure until the victims are safely returned.
Luka Binniyat writes for TruthNigeria from Kaduna while Suleman Ayuba writes from Maiduguri.
