BTvNEWS

As abducted school pupils and teachers remain in the hands of kidnappers for 26 agonising days, Nigerians demand urgent action from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, Southwest leaders, and security agencies before insecurity becomes the defining legacy of the region.

By AbdulHakeem Mutiu Adejumo-Ajeseku, CEO | Head of Communication, Research and Strategies, Political, Media, and Public Affairs Analyst at BTV, Abuja-Nigeria

BTvNEWS: Twenty-six days have passed since innocent school pupils and their teachers from Ogbomoso were abducted by armed criminals, yet the deafening silence surrounding their continued captivity has become a painful indictment on the conscience of our nation. While families endure sleepless nights and unimaginable trauma, the rest of society appears to be settling into an unacceptable normalcy. The question confronting us today is simple: how many more days must these children and teachers spend in captivity before decisive action is taken?

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and a prominent son of the Southwest, owes Nigerians a duty beyond words of reassurance. Every day that passes without the rescue of these victims deepens the fear that insecurity is becoming entrenched in regions once regarded as relatively peaceful. Nigerians expect leadership that is proactive, visible, and uncompromising in the face of terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State must also recognise that the people look to him not merely for sympathy but for resolute action. The primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property. Parents who entrusted their children to educational institutions should not be forced to wonder whether they will ever embrace them again. The continued captivity of these pupils and teachers raises difficult but necessary questions about the adequacy of our security response.

Equally, the Yoruba people of the Southwest must reflect deeply on the direction in which the region is headed. Historically celebrated for its commitment to education, communal solidarity, and progressive values, the Southwest cannot afford to become another theatre of unchecked criminality. We must ask ourselves whether we are prepared to watch kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism become permanent features of our communities under our collective watch.

How do leaders across the Southwest sleep peacefully in their homes, surrounded by their children, spouses, and loved ones, while fellow citizens endure the agony of uncertainty? What comfort can be offered to parents whose children have spent nearly a month in the custody of kidnappers? Leadership must never become detached from the pains of the people it was elected to serve.

This tragedy should compel our governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, traditional institutions, religious leaders, and community stakeholders to rise above political calculations. Security is not a partisan issue. It is neither APC nor PDP. It concerns the survival of our people and the future of our region. The time for issuing routine statements has long passed; what Nigerians seek are measurable results.

If insecurity continues unchecked, the Southwest risks being consumed by fear, economic decline, and social instability. Schools may become deserted, investors may lose confidence, and communities may resort to desperate measures for self-preservation. A society where citizens no longer trust the ability of the state to protect them is one standing on dangerous ground.

Many Nigerians are increasingly asking painful questions: How do ordinary citizens secure themselves when governments at all levels appear overwhelmed by the growing threat of insecurity? At what point does patience become helplessness? While citizens must continue to cooperate with lawful security initiatives, governments must equally demonstrate competence, urgency, and sincerity in confronting the enemies of peace.

If indeed Nigeria remains a sovereign nation governed by laws and institutions, then every available constitutional means must be deployed to secure the immediate release of these abducted pupils and teachers. No effort should be spared. No intelligence should be ignored. No bureaucratic delay should be tolerated. The lives of innocent children and educators are too precious to be reduced to mere statistics in the daily news cycle.

History has a way of remembering both action and indifference. God and posterity will judge leaders not by the eloquence of their speeches but by the courage of their decisions in moments of national distress. The rescue of the Ogbomoso school pupils and teachers must become an urgent priority for all concerned authorities. The Southwest must not surrender to fear, and Nigeria must never accept kidnapping and terrorism as inevitable realities of national life. The time to act is now. These children must come home.

The time to act is now. These children and their teachers must be brought home safely and without further delay.