Civil society organizations and prominent activists have strongly condemned the Federal Government following the continued captivity of 81 Nigerian schoolchildren abducted by terrorists.
In a scathing joint statement released immediately after the 2026 Children’s Day celebrations, the groups declared that any administration unable to protect its youngest citizens has fundamentally failed in its primary responsibility.
They lamented that while the nation marked an annual holiday intended to celebrate children and reflect on their future, dozens of pupils remained trapped in terrorists’ dens with little sign of urgent government intervention.
The outcry follows two recent high-profile mass abductions that have shocked the nation. The captives include 39 primary and secondary school pupils alongside seven teachers who were seized directly from their classrooms in Oyo State, an incident further marred by the recent, brutal beheading of a teacher, Mr. Oyedokun Olugbade.
Additionally, another 42 children were abducted on May 15, 2026, by suspected Boko Haram militants during a violent raid on Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in the Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
Activists directly challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, questioning why state-of-the-art surveillance and military firepower have not been deployed to rescue the victims.
The coalition argued that Nigeria’s security agencies possess the necessary reconnaissance technology to locate anyone within the country, drawing a sharp contrast to the administration’s swift military mobilization in December 2025 to thwart a coup in the Republic of Benin.
Instead of a similar robust response at home, the groups accused both federal and state governments of maintaining a “business as usual” approach, offering only hollow platitudes while political leaders focus on upcoming party primaries.
The joint statement drew grim parallels to past national tragedies, comparing the current administration’s handling of the crisis to the widely criticized response of former President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls abduction.
The groups asserted that the government’s apparent nonchalance strips it of any moral authority to seek the electorate’s support in future elections. “While elections are undeniably important, the safety of the lives of average Nigerians and their welfare are more important,” the statement read, branding the current leadership as “clueless” in the face of rampaging insecurity.
In response to the government’s perceived inaction, the coalition has called on the Nigerian public, organized labour, youths, and allied civil society organizations to embark on peaceful nationwide protests to demand the immediate rescue of all abducted citizens and a overhaul of national security.
The high-profile statement was signed by a coalition of notable civil society leaders under the #EndBadGovernanceMovement and allied organizations, including musician and activist Falz, Hassan Soweto, Jonathan Ugbal, Mike Igaga, Segun Oladunni and Rufus Olusesan.
