The Borno State Children’s Parliament and a non-governmental organisation, the Centre for Advocacy, Transparency and Accountability Initiative (CATAI), have
called on the government to expedite action towards securing the release of teachers, students, primary school pupils in Borno, Oyo states and others.
For a fortnight, simultaneously, the gunmen attacked communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and Mussa District in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting 78 pupils and six teachers from Community High School, and other residents.
Several persons were reportedly killed, and one of the kidnapped teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later beheaded after a video linked to the incident surfaced online, which attracted widespread condemnation from Nigerian.
This is coming nearly three months after 416 children, women and men were abducted in Ngoshe following terrorists’ invasions on the community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
Speaking at a press briefing organised to commemorate the Children’s Day, Abubakar, Executive Director of the Centre for Advocacy, Transparency and Accountability Initiative (CATAI), said the event aimed to amplify children’s voices and call for urgent action to strengthen child protection systems across Nigeria.
Sadiq raised concerns over persistent mass abductions of schoolchildren and other Nigerians, calling for stronger implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration and enhanced protection measures for schools, particularly in conflict-affected and high-risk communities.
According to him, this year’s Children’s Day provided an opportunity to reflect on a difficult reality: “Children who should be in classrooms, on playgrounds and in the safety of their homes continue to face abduction, violence, exploitation and other protection risks. Recent attacks on schools and the abduction of children remind us that child protection cannot be treated as an afterthought. It must be a national priority.
“Every child has the right to learn in safety, to grow in dignity and to pursue their dreams without fear. Protecting children is not only a legal obligation; it is a responsibility we all share as governments, communities, families, institutions and citizens,” he said.
He said not fewer than 70 schoolchildren and teachers have been forcefully taken away by suspected terrorists in Borno and Oyo states, which has further raised grave concerns over the safety of learning facilities’ inability to rescue for 16 days after the incident.
He said, “CATAI does not celebrate. We pause. We reflect. We grieve.” He continued, “These are not statistics.” They are children. They have names. They have dreams. They had futures.
He continued, “We grieve for the hundreds of children who should be in classrooms, in playgrounds, in the safety of their homes, but are not. Children whose names we may never know, whose faces haunt the silence of communities broken by violence and neglect.
“In the northeast, children have been taken from their beds, their schools, their futures. In Kagara, in Jangebe, in Tegina and in countless communities across Zamfara, Katsina and Borno, children have been snatched in the night and traded like commodities.
“This Children’s Day, 27 May 2026, brought fresh and devastating proof that Nigeria’s children remain acutely unprotected. In three separate incidents within hours of each other, young lives were shattered in the northeast, the southwest and in the south -south.
“All over Nigeria, children also face a quieter but no less devastating captivity: trapped in poverty, in trafficking networks, in forced labour and in the grip of criminal gangs that prey on the unprotected. Many live invisible lives of suffering, with no one to speak for them,” he lamented.
Sadiq charged the security agencies to immediately launch a full-scale, sustained operation to rescue the 48 children abducted from Mussa Central Primary and Secondary School in Askira-Uba, Borno State, and the 46 victims (including Christianah Akanbi, aged 2), taken in the coordinated Oriire, Oyo State attacks and other Nigerians’ captivity.
In her speech, Fatima Chiroma Zana, the Speaker of Borno State Children’s Parliament, expressed frustration over persistent insecurity and abduction of schoolchildren, urging the duty bearers to end all forms of insecurity across the country. She noted that too many Nigerian children are growing up in fear when they should be growing up in safety.
“We are gathered to speak on an issue that directly affects the lives and future of many children across our communities; the urgent need for collective action to protect the right, welfare, education, and future of the vulnerable children.”
Fatima vowed to continue advocating for safe learning facilities across the country, “As child representatives, we believe every child deserves protection, quality education, healthcare, safety, and equal opportunity to succeed regardless of their background or circumstances.
“Unfortunately, many vulnerable children continue to face serious challenges, including lack of education, abuse, neglect, displacement, child labour, early marriage and exploitation. This is why we believe the time for action is now,” she opined.
Also, Ibrahim Umar, Deputy Speaker of the Borno State Children’s Parliament, echoed the pain of children currently facing challenges threatening their futures.
“Across many communities, vulnerable children continue to suffer from challenges that threaten their future and well-being, which is unacceptable. Some children remain out of school, while others face exploitation, violence, hunger, lack of proper care and protection. These challenges affect not only children, but the future peace and development of our society,” he echoed.
Umaru appealed for urgent action against child abuse and violence; stronger enforcement of child protection laws and policies that safeguard learning facilities across the country.
“The future of Borno and Nigeria depends on how well we protect and empower children today. We can build a society where every child is safe, educated, protected, and allowed to achieve their dreams,” he warned.