By Olaitan Oye-Adeitan
This has always been a day they all eagerly looked forward to with so much expectations from parents, teachers, custodians, government and the society.
You cannot just imagine the excitement in their hearts towards this day as they readily prepare to swing their arms, raise their legs and startle their audience with stunning calisthenic display, colourful school parades, march pasts, funfairs and talent shows.
And I tell you, the day is not complete without family outings to recreational parks, restaurants, or special treats in homes spiced with sumptuous delicacies to really give them the feel of the day, the icing on the cake.
Beyond the fun, the day is a reminder of every child’s right to education, good health, safety, and a chance to thrive towards a glorious future.
That’s the children’s day.
But today, the joy, excitement, and scintillating voices of some pupils, students and teachers who were abducted on Friday, May 15, 2026 in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, that would have filled the stadia and parks have been silenced with sorrow, pain, fear, and tears in the thick forests where they have been held captive for almost two weeks now.
They are there rain or shine, hot or cold, together with their teachers who would have also joyfully prepared them for the occasion.
Words could not succinctly capture the grief in the hearts of parents, husbands, wives and other family members who have lost sleep, peace, resources, joy and even health in the earnest search and anticipation for the return of these children, teachers and every victim in the bandits’ den.
This ugly incident has brought an unusual calm to the land, as the state government has put a hold on activities that would take students outside the school premises. So, no match past, no parades, nothing that depicts the day, for we only need to hear the children crying, “Please come to our rescue”.
Remember that the mass children abduction in Nigeria, directly targeting schools, dates back to 2010 with the rise of the extremist group Boko Haram .
It degenerated into a global crisis on April 14, 2014, with the abduction of 276 school girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, birthing a heart cry movement, with the hashtag Bring back our girls” championed by former minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili.
Sadly in the last few years, there has been a surge in school kidnappings with at least 10 attacks affecting almost 700 children going by the statistical analysis by “Save the Children Foundation”, of data from “The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).
Eighty children were reportedly kidnapped in 2023 by militants in Tsafe, Zamfara Local government.
In March 2024, another major attack led to the abduction of 287 students and a teacher in Kaduna state.
The Papiri kidnapping of 21st November, 2025, in Niger state could also not be hurriedly forgotten when unidentified gunmen abducted 303 students and twelve teachers from St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State, Nigeria.
And now the recent attack in Oyo state on May 15, 2026, where almost forty students and seven teachers where whisked away by bandits. A teacher was beheaded, while another lost his life in the attack.
The same day in Borno, three schools were attacked by the bandits in which about 50 children were kidnapped, mostly between the ages of two and five.
The statistics are really disturbing and devastating.
This situation seriously calls for a strong, deliberate and effective action to address for the release of those in captivity especially on the part of government.
Like the words of Save The Children, Country Director in Nigeria, Duncan Harvey,
“These alarming figures on the number of children kidnapped at school and the latest abductions in Nigeria must be a wake-up call as we are seeing schools and students come increasingly under attack in Nigeria. Attacks on schools have long-lasting consequences for communities and children’s access to education. They leave children too scared to go to class and force schools to close. We need urgent, coordinated action now to prevent these attacks”, Harvey says.
“School should be a safe haven and a place where a child can dream of and make a better future. It should never be a place where children’s and their parents’ worst nightmares can come true. No child should ever have to choose between learning and staying safe. When a school is attacked, it’s not just walls that fall; a child’s safety, dreams, and future fall with them”, Harvey submits.
Therefore, efforts being made to secure their release must be paramount on the minds of the leaders beyond political statement or ambition, remembering that every person in power today, once started life as a little child, sat in a classroom, participated, laughed at a school parade and grew up to occupy leadership positions.
If these leaders had been subjected to this kind of horrendous experience, these children and teachers face now, their dream of leading the nation would have been defeated long time ago.
The spirit of brotherhood in Nigerians regardless of religion, must rise as contained the national anthem by praying fervently, offering good suggestions that could aid the release of the captives,just like the apostles did when Peter was imprisoned by King Herod.
Just chatting, spreading rumours, and sharing videos of dastardly acts carried out by the terrorists is definitely not a solution to the problem.
