81 Children Still With Terrorists? Nigerians Furious Over Government’s Silence

Why is this state-of-the-art surveillance technology not being deployed to rescue our children?" activists and CSOs slam govt as 81 Nigerian schoolchildren still in terrorists’ den

Activists and Civil society organisations have questioned why the Federal Government cannot go after terrorists with the same resources they employ in fishing out ordinary citizens.

The groups said: “On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, was Children’s Day in Nigeria, an annual holiday to celebrate Nigeria’s children and reflect on government’s efforts to build a thriving future for the new generation.

“Alas, as we marked this year’s celebration, nothing less than 81 Nigerian school children are languishing in captivity.

“This include 39 primary and secondary school pupils alongside seven teachers who were abducted by terrorists right inside their schools in Oyo State. One of the teachers, Mr. Oyedokun Olugbade, was beheaded a few days ago.

“Similarly, another 42 children were abducted on May 15, 2026, by suspected Boko Haram militants during an attack on Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

“It is only right on the occasion of this year’s Children’s Day celebration that we ask President Bola Tinubu: Where are our abducted children? Why have they not been found?

“Sadly, since the tragic abduction, Nigeria’s government, both at the federal and state levels, has mostly carried on with business as usual, occasionally offering platitudinous statements of assurance while doing absolutely nothing to rescue our beloved children.

“We say this because we know quite well, from our experience as civil society activists who have been regularly subjected to hostile surveillance, that Nigeria’s government and its security agencies possess the wherewithal to locate anyone within the territory of the nation.

“The question therefore is: why is this state-of-the-art surveillance technology not being deployed to rescue our children?"