There is a growing and deeply troubling concern over the fate of school children in Oyo State who remain in the hands of terrorists, even as public attention appears to have drifted elsewhere. For many Nigerians, the most painful part of this tragedy is not only the abduction itself, but the unsettling silence and apparent indifference that have followed it. In the midst of this horror, the Tinubu APC government is already campaigning for 2027, a development that only deepens the sense of national moral fatigue.
The continued captivity of these children is not a matter that should be treated as routine or relegated to the margins of public discourse. It is a national emergency, a human tragedy, and a test of the country’s conscience. Yet, as days pass, the urgency that should accompany such a crisis seems to be fading, replaced by the familiar distractions of politics, daily survival, and the dangerous habit of moving on too quickly from the suffering of others.
Parents, civil society organisations, and ordinary citizens have every reason to be outraged. It is morally indefensible for life to proceed as though nothing has happened while innocent children remain trapped in fear, uncertainty, and trauma. Their absence should not be reduced to a passing headline, a forgotten talking point, or a statistic in the endless churn of national news. These are children, not abstractions. They are sons and daughters whose families wake each day to anguish, hoping for news that should never have been necessary in the first place.
What makes the situation even more disturbing is the impression that collective conscience is eroding before our eyes. When victims of such a grave crime are left behind in the public imagination, while political calculations and other distractions take over, society sends a dangerous message: that the suffering of the vulnerable can be tolerated, ignored, or normalized. That is a message no decent society should ever permit itself to send.
“How can school children still be in the hands of terrorists while our society moves on?” one concerned resident asked. “Have we lost conscience as people?” That question is not merely rhetorical; it is a moral indictment. It captures the anguish of many who feel that the nation is failing not only the children, but also the values of empathy, urgency, and shared responsibility that should define a humane society. If the abduction of school children cannot stir sustained outrage, then what, indeed, remains of our common humanity?
The calls for action must therefore be louder, sharper, and more sustained. Citizens are demanding urgent government intervention, stronger security measures, and a determined effort to secure the safe rescue of the children. But beyond official action, there must also be public pressure that refuses to let this tragedy disappear into silence. Every day of inaction deepens the pain of the families and strengthens the dangerous impression that such horrors can become routine.
This is precisely why the matter must remain in the national spotlight until the children are safely returned. A society that can forget its abducted children too quickly is a society in moral danger. The measure of leadership is not found in campaign slogans or political positioning, but in the speed, seriousness, and sincerity with which it responds to the suffering of its most vulnerable citizens. On this issue, Nigeria must do better. It must do more. And it must do it now.
