Politics
THE Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) is alarmed, outraged and deeply disturbed that more than two weeks after the abduction of innocent teachers and schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, the victims remain in captivity while the nation watches helplessly.
It is sad that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was shown during the last Sallah holiday to be enjoying the religious ceremony with his equally happy grand children but it is timely to remind the president that the Oyo State children held in bondage as hostages of heartless terrorists and killers are our own children and our own kinsmen and women as citizens of Nigeria and as members of the Community of humans. They must be released forthwith or there should be consequences of failure on the part of the security chiefs and the president of Nigeria.
Every additional hour these innocent children spend in the hands of criminals is a devastating indictment of Nigeria’s security architecture and a painful reminder that the constitutional promise of protection has been denied to some of the most vulnerable citizens of this country.
The horrifying images of schoolchildren, including toddlers reportedly trapped in the wilderness under harsh conditions, should have triggered a national emergency. Instead, what Nigerians have witnessed is a troubling pattern of official assurances without corresponding results.
HURIWA therefore calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to ensure the immediate and safe rescue of the abducted teachers and pupils before 2:00 p.m. today.
The continued captivity of these victims raises profound questions about the effectiveness of the nation’s security response and the government’s ability to fulfil its constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.
Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution is unambiguous: the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. That constitutional obligation is not optional. It is the very foundation upon which governmental legitimacy rests.
No government can demand the confidence of its citizens while innocent children remain in the custody of armed criminals/terrorists for weeks. No democracy can claim success when pupils leave home for school and vanish into captivity without swift and decisive rescue efforts.
HURIWA stands firmly with the courageous teachers, parents, civil society organisations and concerned citizens who have taken to the streets of Ibadan to demand urgent action. Their protest is not merely justified; it is a moral necessity in the face of an unacceptable national tragedy.
We are particularly disappointed by the apparent lack of nationwide mobilisation from the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT). The abduction of teachers and schoolchildren ought to have provoked a robust and sustained response from organisations established to defend workers and educators.
The labour movement has historically been a powerful voice against injustice and threats to citizens. At moments such as this, Nigerians expect visible advocacy, solidarity and pressure for action.
HURIWA is equally concerned by the relatively muted response from student organisations across the country. The abduction of schoolchildren is an attack on education itself. It is an attack on the future of Nigeria. Student bodies should be at the forefront of lawful advocacy demanding the immediate freedom of their colleagues.
We also call on civil society groups, professional associations, faith-based organisations and community leaders across the country to intensify peaceful and lawful pressure on all relevant authorities until every abducted child and teacher regains freedom.
This tragedy must not be allowed to fade from public consciousness.
The nation cannot afford to become desensitised to mass abductions. We cannot permit the normalization of a situation in which schoolchildren disappear into captivity while families endure endless agony and uncertainty.
The tears of the parents, the fears of the teachers, and the suffering of the kidnapped children demand urgent action—not routine statements.
The Federal Government, security agencies and all relevant authorities must act with the speed, urgency and determination that this national emergency requires.
The lives of these innocent children and teachers are priceless.
Nigeria must bring them home.
Now.
A.I
May 31, 2026
Tags: HURIWA President Bola Ahmed Tinubu