President Bola Tinubu has assured abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo and Borno states that they have not been forgotten, pledging intensified efforts by his administration to secure their safe return.
In a personally signed statement marking Children’s Day on May 27, 2026, the President acknowledged the distress of affected families amid renewed attacks on schools in parts of the country.
“As we mark this special day, which coincides with Eid-el-Kabir, some Nigerian children and their teachers in Oyo and Borno should be with their families, but are being held captive by criminals,” Tinubu said.
He added that the government would not abandon victims and their families in their moment of pain.
“To those children, their parents, and their teachers, I say this as a father and your President: you are not forgotten. You are not abandoned,” he stated.
The President said he had directed all relevant security agencies to intensify coordinated rescue operations across affected regions, stressing that efforts must be intelligence-driven and focused on the safe recovery of victims.
He also announced plans to strengthen school protection systems in high-risk areas, including updated vulnerability mapping, improved coordination between state authorities and security agencies, rapid response structures, and community-based early warning mechanisms.
“I have also directed the strengthening of school protection measures in high-risk areas,” Tinubu said.
He noted that the theme of this year’s Children’s Day celebration, “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child,” reflects the nation’s responsibility to protect and invest in its children.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring access to education, healthcare, nutrition, safety, and opportunity for all Nigerian children.
He also emphasized the importance of post-rescue support for victims of abduction and violence.
“A child who returns from trauma must return to care, medical attention, counselling, education, and dignity,” he said.
Tinubu further called for stronger community involvement in security, urging parents, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups, and the media to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
“When warning signs are ignored, families suffer. When information is shared quickly and responsibly, lives can be saved,” he said.
The President reiterated that protecting children must begin before attacks occur, not after.
Recent incidents have heightened national concern over school security, including the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State on May 15, 2026, during an attack on Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, where a teacher was killed and another reportedly beheaded.
In Borno State, pupils were also abducted from schools in Askira-Uba Local Government Area during a separate attack on the same day.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has condemned the attacks as “barbaric and inhuman,” warning that continued violence against schools could lead to widespread withdrawal of teachers from service.
Security concerns have continued to grow amid fears of renewed mass abductions in vulnerable regions, particularly in the North-East.
