Children’s Day: Nigeria Demands Justice for Abducted Pupils

ABUJA — Nigeria marked Children’s Day on Wednesday, May 27, against the backdrop of a national crisis. Hundreds of schoolchildren remain in captivity across different parts of the country. Citizens, civil society groups, and politicians used the occasion to demand urgent government action for their rescue.

Former minister Obiageli Ezekwesili and popular content creator Enioluwa Adeoluwa were among the public figures who led calls on social media. Both demanded that the government treat the abduction of schoolchildren as a national emergency requiring an immediate and visible response.

Ezekwesili, who played a central role in the global BringBackOurGirls campaign following the 2014 Chibok kidnapping, said Nigeria is repeating history by failing its children. She said every Children’s Day that passes with children still in captivity is a rebuke to the government’s sense of duty.

“Children’s Day should be a celebration. Instead, it is a reminder of how many Nigerian children are still waiting to come home. The government must act,” Ezekwesili wrote on X.

The Scale of the Crisis

The most recent high-profile abductions include the attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 16, which the Defence Headquarters confirmed was carried out by JAS terrorists. Students and teachers were taken. At least one teacher, Adesiyan Adegboye, was killed. Others remain missing.

In Borno State, Boko Haram fighters abducted 42 students from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba in a separate attack the same week. The Nigerian Army rescued 92 civilians from bandits in Borno on May 24 in a separate operation, but the Oyo and Borno school abductees from earlier attacks remain unaccounted for.

Furthermore, the National Assembly’s emergency debate on school safety has stalled. Lawmakers had pledged to fast-track the state police bill and the Safe Schools Initiative funding. However, with recess approaching and the election season dominating attention, progress has been slow.

What Children’s Day Should Mean

Zenith Bank used Children’s Day to champion financial inclusion for children, launching a campaign around building a better future for Nigerian youth. Several other companies and NGOs held events focused on children’s education, health, and rights.

However, child rights advocates said corporate Children’s Day gestures ring hollow while the government fails to secure children’s most basic right, the right to go to school and return home safely. They said systemic change, not social media campaigns, is what Nigeria’s children need.

President Tinubu issued a Children’s Day message wishing Nigerian children a joyful celebration. He pledged to continue his administration’s investment in education and child welfare. He did not make specific reference to the abducted schoolchildren in his statement, an omission that drew sharp criticism on social media.