“Islamize or Perish”: Over 100 Christian Women and Children Still Held After 132 Days in Boko Haram Captivity

Mass abductions across southern Borno reveal a widening campaign of forced conversion and targeted violence as families plead for rescue and officials deny religious persecution.

By Suleman Ayuba

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — For 132 days, more than 100 Christian women and children from southern Borno State have remained in Boko Haram captivity, enduring forced conversion pressures, deprivation, and terror deep inside the Sambisa Forest. The mass abductions—beginning with the seizure of 80 schoolchildren from Mussa and Lassa Wards on May 15, 2026—have plunged entire communities into trauma and exposed what local leaders describe as a widening, religiously driven campaign to erase Christian presence across the region, even as federal authorities continue to deny any genocide.

Speaking to TruthNigeria, the Honourable Peter Waba a Councillor representing Mussa Ward revealed that the official tally barely scratches the surface. He disclosed that the total number of hostages languishing in captivity is well over 100, highlighting how armed terrorists recently targeted commuters along the Buratai road in the Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting dozens more defenseless women and children.

Fractured Families and Broken Spirits

In an exclusive interview with TruthNigeria, Engineer Amos Papka, a local political leader from Lassa, described a populace consumed by grief and physical breakdown. Parents who once tilled fields and raised families now find their health deteriorating under the weight of unrelenting trauma.

“Some families have developed high blood pressure, and others are sick due to severe trauma,” Engineer Papka told TruthNigeria

Papka openly criticized what he characterized as a glaring double standard by authorities, pointing to the swift tactical responses deployed when children were recently rescued in Oyo State while Borno’s children remain abandoned.

When asked about the children’s current welfare, Hon. Papka noted that Borno State Commissioner of Education Abba Wakilbe assured community leaders that the captives were fine. However, such verbal assurances offer zero comfort to grieving parents. “We are tired of the stories,” Papka added bluntly. “All we want is rescue.”

Honourable Peter Waba further painted a harrowing picture of the environmental nightmare the young hostages face daily inside the Sambisa Forest. Exposed to dangerous wild animals, extreme elements, and severe deprivation, these children are enduring unimaginable physical and mental torture. Waba called for immediate, decisive military operations to bring them home before it is too late.

Wall of Silence and Official Responses

Efforts to obtain clear answers from political representatives reveal a wall of diplomatic caution. When TruthNigeria contacted the office of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South), his Senior Legislative Aide, Honourable Junaid Jibrill Maiva, offered assurances that legislative and security channels are active. “We are making the effort. The Senator has been working,” Hon. Maiva responded to TruthNigeria.

Maiva confirmed that Senator Ndume has met directly with the Theater Commander of the military’s counter-insurgency operations to press for an intensified rescue mission. However, he declined to disclose operational specifics, emphasizing that details must remain confidential to protect the ongoing covert efforts to secure the victims’ safe return.

Systemic Targeting of Faith Communities

Beyond the immediate tactical challenges lies an underlying religious dimension that local leaders insist cannot be ignored. In a separate interview with TruthNigeria, a local Christian cleric—speaking on strict condition of anonymity due to acute fears of government reprisals—characterized the abductions as a calculated, systemic targeting of Christians.

The Reverend recounted that the raids specifically targeted historical Christian strongholds in the region, confirming that the parents and abducted children are overwhelmingly Christian. He emphasized that these attacks are not isolated incidents; in neighboring areas like Ngoshe, Boko Haram insurgents issued an explicit ultimatum to the community: convert to Islam or face ruthless, violent attacks.

Global Scrutiny and International Designations

The ongoing violence against Christians in northern Nigeria has attracted high-level international condemnation. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), U.S. President Donald Trump explicitly highlighted the global persecution of Christians,