BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
As Nigeria celebrates children's day, President Bola Tinubu has remembered with nostalgia children taunted by insecurity, even as dozens are still held in captivity by terrorists.
Recall that as of May 15, 2026, about 40 to 46 person's, including students and a principal, were kidnapped from two secondary schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Multiple reports indicated that a teacher was beheaded during the attack, while the captives have been tortured to induce ransom pressure.
Also on May 15, armed men attacked three schools in Borno State, abducting over 50 children, many between the ages of two and five.
Below is President Tinubu's message to children:
"On this Children’s Day, I celebrate every Nigerian child. I celebrate the child who is excelling in school. I celebrate the child who is learning a trade. I celebrate the child living with disability and still pressing forward with courage. I celebrate the child who has lost much but has not lost hope.
"Today belongs to you. It is a day to celebrate your innocence, your strength, your creativity, your aspirations, and the immeasurable value you bring to our nation. You are the pride of our Republic, the custodians of tomorrow’s promise, and the living reminder that we can shape the future of Nigeria by the opportunities we create for our children today.
"The theme for this year’s celebration, “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child,” speaks powerfully to the soul of our national conscience. It reminds us that the future is not a distant promise; it is already here.
"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. Some children have been forced into fear. Some parents cannot join today’s celebration because their hearts are set on one prayer: ‘Bring our children home.
"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.
"To the families grieving and despondent, your government will not turn your pain into ceremony. We will continue to work until children taken from their homes, schools and communities are returned safely, and until those who profit from this cruelty are brought to justice.
"I have directed all relevant security agencies to sustain and intensify coordinated rescue operations for abducted children and other vulnerable citizens across the country. These operations must be intelligence-led, carefully executed and focused on the safe recovery of our children.
"I have also directed the strengthening of school protection measures in high-risk areas. This will include updated school vulnerability mapping, closer coordination between state governments and security commands, rapid response links between schools and local security units, and stronger community-based early warning systems.
"The Federal Ministry of Education, working with state governments, is to deepen the implementation of the Safe Schools framework with clear reporting, clear responsibility and clear timelines. Every school in a vulnerable area must know who to call, what to do, where to move, and how to protect children when danger is identified.
"We will also improve support for children who have survived abduction, violence and displacement. Rescue is not the end of the government’s duty. A child who returns from trauma must return to care, medical attention, counselling, education and dignity. I have directed the relevant ministries and agencies to ensure that recovered children receive proper reintegration support, not temporary attention.
"Let me also state that protecting children cannot be left solely to the government. Parents, teachers, traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders, youth groups, transport unions, local vigilantes and the media all have a role to play. When a community sees strange movement around a school and keeps quiet, a child is placed at risk. When warning signs are ignored, families suffer. When information is shared quickly and responsibly, lives can be saved.
"This is why we will continue to strengthen the link between communities and security agencies. The fight to protect children must begin before an attack happens, not after one has already occurred.
"My administration remains committed to a Nigeria where every child can learn safely, grow in good health, eat well, access opportunity and dream without fear. We are investing in education, health care, nutrition, social protection, digital skills and safer communities because childhood must not be a privilege reserved for a few. It is the right of every Nigerian child.
"To our children, you matter—your dreams matter; your safety matters. Your education matters. Be assured that your future matters to this government and to this nation, and we will safeguard it."
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Federal Republic of Nigeria
May 27, 2026
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