President Bola Tinubu has renewed his personal commitment to securing the release of school children abducted in Oyo and Borno states, directing all security agencies to intensify coordinated rescue operations and ordering the strengthening of school protection measures in high-risk areas across the country.

In a statement issued on Children’s Day, Tinubu acknowledged that the occasion coincided with Eid-el-Kabir, making the absence of the captive children and their teachers from their families more painful. He said that as a father and as president, he would not allow their captivity to be treated as a ceremonial concern.

“To those children, their parents, and their teachers, I say this: you are not forgotten. You are not abandoned,” the president stated. He said the government would continue to work until every child taken from their home, school, or community was returned safely, and until those responsible were brought to justice.

He directed the Federal Ministry of Education, working with state governments, to deepen the implementation of the Safe Schools framework with clear reporting, clear responsibility, and clear timelines. He said every school in a vulnerable area must know who to call, what to do, where to move, and how to protect children when danger was identified. He also directed that children who had already been rescued should receive proper reintegration support including medical attention, counselling, education, and dignity, not temporary attention.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the president, described children as active participants in shaping the country’s present rather than merely its future, saying the theme of the 2026 Children’s Day, “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child,” was a reminder that the future they desired for children had to begin today.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Eseme Eyiboh, warned children against drug abuse, cultism, and social vices that could destroy their prospects. He said the 10th National Assembly would continue to prioritize policies and programs aimed at safeguarding children’s rights, and that their education, health, and safety would remain at the heart of the legislative agenda.

Minister of Education Tunji Alausa reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to inclusive and quality education for every Nigerian child, commending young disability advocate Dera Osadebe whose advocacy for children living with disabilities and autism was highlighted at a special Children’s Day event in Abuja. Alausa said the government remained committed to nurturing, protecting, and empowering children through sustained investments in education and child development.