The Team Lead of Youth Advocate for Change (YAFC), Mr. Adeola Ogunlade, has expressed deep concern over the continued captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, describing attempts by politicians and other stakeholders to politicize the incident as dangerous, insensitive and unacceptable.
In a statement, Ogunlade said the abduction of the pupils and their teachers, which occurred over two weeks ago while academic activities were ongoing, highlights the growing insecurity facing schools and threatens efforts to improve access to education across Nigeria.
According to him, Nigerians woke up to the heartbreaking news that 47 persons, including schoolchildren and teachers, were kidnapped while learning was in progress, raising fresh concerns about the safety of educational institutions and the future of children in the country.
“The question remains: what offence have these children committed in their pursuit of education and their desire to become responsible and productive citizens in the future? Schools are meant to be safe spaces for learning, growth and development, not places of fear and uncertainty,” he said.
Ogunlade noted that the recurring cases of kidnappings involving schoolchildren and teachers have become a national emergency requiring urgent and decisive intervention from government and security agencies.
While commending the Federal Government’s commitment to reducing the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, he warned that such efforts could be undermined if schools continue to remain vulnerable to attacks and abductions.
He explained that many parents would naturally become reluctant to send their children to school if they could no longer guarantee their safety.
“Nigeria already carries the burden of having one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally. The country is also grappling with numerous educational challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, poverty, forced displacement of communities, low learning outcomes and limited access to digital learning opportunities needed for children to compete globally,” he stated.
Drawing attention to previous cases of displacement that disrupted education, Ogunlade cited communities such as Makoko, where thousands of children were reportedly affected and many dropped out of school following forced evictions.
He said these existing challenges have already placed significant pressure on the education sector, adding that the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers represents another major setback to efforts aimed at improving educational outcomes in the country.
“The abduction of schoolchildren and teachers is a serious threat to the efforts of government agencies, development partners and civil society organisations working tirelessly to improve access to education for Nigerian children,” he said.
The youth advocate called on the Federal Government to urgently review and strengthen the Safe Schools Initiative Programme to ensure that schools, especially those located in vulnerable and underserved communities, are adequately protected.
According to him, education remains the foundation of national development and the springboard for building a productive, prosperous and peaceful society.
“Any threat to the safety of our educational institutions is a direct threat to the future well-being and progress of our nation,” he added.
Ogunlade further urged security agencies, governments at all levels, community leaders and relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts towards securing the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted children and their teachers.
He stressed that the issue should not be used for political point-scoring, but rather approached with a sense of collective responsibility and urgency.
“This is not the time for politics. It is a time for collective action, responsibility and compassion. The lives, future and dreams of these children must remain our highest priority,” he said.
