By Comrade James Onifade
On May 15, 2026, gunmen stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School in Oriire, Oyo State. They abducted about 39 children, some toddlers, and seven teachers. One teacher was killed during the attack and another was beheaded after the capture. Families are broken. Nigeria bleeds again.
How did we get here? What happened to the Giant of Africa? Who is holding her hostage?
This is not just another sad story. It is a national shame. Twenty-two days later, many children remain in captivity, terrified in the bush, while bandits demand huge ransoms. Two innocent lives are already gone. The pain is unbearable.
Nigeria has seen this horror too many times: Chibok, Dapchi, Kankara, and now Oyo. Schools are no longer safe. Forests have become bandit territories. Billions are spent on security, yet children are still taken in broad daylight. Leadership talks tough but delivers little. The Giant of Africa is on her knees.
In moments like this, Nigerians expect empathy from leaders. During Chibok, former First Lady Patience Jonathan cried out, protested publicly, and demanded the girls be returned. Whether you agreed with her style or not, she showed up as a mother when the nation’s children were stolen.
But silence and political activity in the face of this Oyo tragedy send the wrong message. A mother of the nation should feel the cry of every child. She should not focus on politics when innocent blood is spilled and parents cannot sleep. The priority must be rescue, comfort, and visible action.
The pain is worse because of a glaring double standard. On June 3, 2026, gunmen kidnapped the sister of former Power Minister Adelabu, Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, and her 12-year-old twin sons in Ibadan while taking them to school. By June 6, 2026, just 3 days later, security agencies mobilized and rescued them alive.
Yet, 22 days after the May 15 Oyo school attack, pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire remain in captivity.
This raises a hard question: What mechanism was deployed to secure the release of the ex-minister’s family within 3 days, and why can that same mechanism not be used to rescue those who have spent 22 days in bandit dens?
A good leadership, a responsible nation, must treat all citizens equally. The speed shown for politically connected victims proves rescue is possible. The delay for poor schoolchildren and teachers proves the government of the day is unconcerned since none of them is related to the political class. Every Nigerian life must matter equally. If swift action can be taken for some, the same urgency must be deployed for pupils and teachers whose only crime was going to school. Their continued captivity is not just a security failure; it is a stain on our national conscience.
What a shame for a nation that calls itself the Giant of Africa. A country where children can be kidnapped from classrooms and remain hostages for weeks while politics continues as usual must urgently rethink its priorities.
The tears of parents, the fear of captives, and the memory of the teachers and children who lost their lives demand more than sympathy. They demand decisive action, accountability, and a real plan to secure our schools.
The people deserve safety. The children deserve to return home. Leadership must act now.
Signed:
Comrade James Onifade
Advocate for Good Governance and a Better Judicial Reform
