President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to intensified coordinated rescue operations for abducted schoolchildren.
Nigeria marked Children’s Day on Wednesday with some pupils and teachers in Oyo and Borno States still held in captivity by criminals.
In a statement to commemorate the day with the theme, “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child,” the President assured the families of abducted children that his government would not turn their pain into a ceremony.
“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,” Tinubu said. “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.”
Beyond the rescue operations, the President also ordered the strengthening of school protection measures in high-risk areas, including updated vulnerability mapping of schools, closer coordination between state governments and security commands, and the establishment of rapid response links between schools and local security units.
He further directed the reinforcement of community-based early warning systems.
Tinubu said he has directed the Federal Ministry of Education to deepen implementation of the safe school framework, with clear reporting lines, defined responsibilities, and firm 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,” the President said.
He also addressed the welfare of survivors, stressing that government responsibility does not end at rescue, directing relevant Ministries and Agencies to ensure that recovered children receive medical attention, counselling, education support, and full reintegration care instead of temporary attention.
The President called on communities, parents, teachers, traditional and religious leaders, vigilante groups, and the media to share in the responsibility of protecting children, warning that silence in the face of suspicious activity around schools puts lives at risk.
The celebration of Children’s Day coincided with Eid-el-Kabir, with the President noting the contrast between a day of national celebration and the reality of families who could not rejoice because their children had not yet come home.
“Some parents cannot join today’s celebration because their hearts are set on one prayer: bring our children home,” he said.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s broader commitment to education, healthcare, nutrition, social protection, and digital skills development, saying childhood must not be a privilege reserved for the few but a right guaranteed for every Nigerian child.
