As Nigeria marks Children’s Day, President Bola Tinubu has reassured parents and guardians of abducted children that efforts have been stepped up to secure their safe return. He says his administration has intensified rescue operations, strengthened school protection measures, and expanded support for survivors.
In his 2026 Children’s Day message, the President directly addressed children in captivity, insisting they have not been forgotten and that security agencies have been directed to ensure their safe rescue.
“As a father and your President: you are not forgotten. You are not abandoned”, Tinubu said, speaking to children, parents, and teachers still held in captivity in Oyo, Borno, and other affected states.
He acknowledged the pain of affected families, noting that while many children celebrate the day, others remain in fear, and some parents are unable to join the occasion because their children are still missing. With the Children’s Day theme, ‘Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child’, the President said the crisis represents both a national tragedy and a security priority.
“To the families grieving and despondent, your government will not turn your pain into ceremony. We will continue to work until children taken from their homes, schools and communities are returned safely, and until those responsible are brought to justice”, he said.
Tinubu also directed security agencies to intensify coordinated, intelligence-led rescue operations aimed at safely recovering the abducted children.
He further ordered urgent strengthening of school security systems, including updated vulnerability mapping, improved coordination between state authorities and security agencies, rapid response mechanisms for schools, and stronger community-based early warning systems.
