Families of 13 travellers abducted along the Biu–Maiduguri–Damaturu road have renewed their appeal to security agencies and government authorities to intensify efforts for their rescue, saying their loved ones have now spent 60 days in captivity without any contact or confirmed updates.
Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Maiduguri, the spokesman of the affected families, Mr. Hassan Yati, said the prolonged silence has deepened their pain, fear, and uncertainty over the fate of the victims.
He said while the families acknowledged recent rescue operations that led to the release of other abducted persons in Borno State, their relief remains incomplete as the 13 travellers abducted on April 15, 2026, are still missing.
“Today, we address you with hearts weighed down by pain, fear and uncertainty over the abduction of 13 travellers who left Biu for Maiduguri on April 15, 2026, but never reached their destination after their vehicles were ambushed by suspected ISWAP/Boko Haram insurgents along the Biu–Buratai–Kamuya road,” Yati said.
He added that despite recent successful rescue efforts in other cases, the families continue to live in anguish as they await news of their relatives.
“While we rejoice over the recent rescue of 360 abducted women, children and men from Ngoshe, as well as the release of 11 abducted fisherwomen from Askira Uba, our joy remains incomplete because our loved ones are still in captivity,” he said.
According to him, the last 60 days have been marked by trauma, sleepless nights, and emotional distress, with families struggling to cope with the absence of their loved ones.
Yati explained that the victims were intercepted by armed insurgents who blocked two overloaded station wagon vehicles along the highway and forcefully took all passengers into the bush, after which all communication was lost.
Among those abducted, he said, were a nursing mother travelling with her seven-month-old baby, young graduates heading to Maiduguri for NYSC processing, a married couple from Hawul, and other passengers with hopes of building better lives.
“These are young men and women hoping to begin new chapters of their lives after years of struggle. None of them imagined that an ordinary journey of less than six hours would become a nightmare stretching into months,” he said.
He lamented that repeated attacks along the Biu–Maiduguri corridor have turned the route into a dangerous passage for commuters, despite its importance as the only major link for several communities.
“Sadly, attacks and abductions along this road are becoming frighteningly common. Yet for many communities across Biu, Hawul, Kwaya Kusar, Bayo and Shani, this dangerous road remains the only link to Maiduguri,” he said.
Yati also highlighted the emotional toll on families, noting that children have been left without parents and relatives are forced to live daily with uncertainty and grief.
“How does one explain to a six-year-old girl, Deborah Michael, that her parents who travelled from Biu to Maiduguri are yet to arrive after two months? How does Baba Mustapha sleep at night knowing that his two sons have vanished without a trace?” he asked.
He, however, expressed cautious optimism that the victims could still be rescued, citing recent successes recorded by security agencies in similar operations.
“We have seen the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, the Nigerian Army and security agencies in securing the release of other abducted victims in recent weeks. Those successes have reminded us that rescue is possible and that our loved ones too can still come home alive,” he said.
The families appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Babagana Zulum, National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and other relevant authorities to intensify efforts to secure the release of the captives.
“Please help us bring our loved ones home. We also appeal for urgent measures to protect innocent travellers using the Biu–Damaturu–Maiduguri road by increasing security presence and improving surveillance across the route,” Yati pleaded.
They further called for rehabilitation of the highway, stricter regulation of passenger transport operations, and improved passenger manifest systems to enhance accountability and emergency response.
The families also urged humanitarian organisations, community leaders, and Nigerians to support their appeal, insisting that the abducted travellers must not be forgotten.
