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 politicise the incident as dangerous, insensitive, and unacceptable.
In a statement, Ogunlade said the abduction of the pupils and their teachers, which occurred more than two weeks ago during school hours, underscores the growing insecurity facing educational institutions 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 schools 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? 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 abductions of 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, he warned that such efforts could be undermined if schools continue to remain vulnerable to attacks.
He explained that many parents would naturally become reluctant to send their children to school if their safety could no longer be guaranteed.
“Nigeria already bears 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 past disruptions to 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 yet another major setback to efforts aimed at improving educational outcomes.
“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 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 other stakeholders to intensify efforts to secure the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted children and their teachers.
He stressed that the issue must not be used for political point-scoring but 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.