16DaysLater: The Children Are Still Missing While Leaders Play Politics

Sixteen painful days have passed since armed terrorists stormed schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and abducted innocent pupils, students, and teachers.

Sixteen days.

Sixteen days of fear.

Sixteen days of uncertainty.

Sixteen days of sleepless nights for parents who do not know where their children are, what condition they are in, or when they will finally return home.

As rain continues to fall across many parts of Nigeria, one heartbreaking question remains unanswered:

Where are these children sleeping tonight?

Imagine a five-year-old child forced to spend over two weeks away from home, surrounded by fear and uncertainty. Imagine children who should be sitting in classrooms, learning and playing with their friends, instead facing the trauma of captivity. Imagine the emotional torture their parents are enduring every single day.

For sixteen days, families have waited.

For sixteen days, they have prayed.

For sixteen days, they have hoped for good news.

Yet many questions remain unanswered.

The greatest pain is not just the kidnapping itself, but the feeling that the urgency this situation deserves has not been matched by the level of action many Nigerians expected from those responsible for protecting lives.

Citizens continue to ask:

Do we not have a police force?

Do we not have an army?

Do we not have intelligence agencies?

Do we not have specially trained personnel capable of rescuing innocent victims from criminal groups?

How can dozens of children and teachers be taken from educational institutions and remain in captivity for more than two weeks while families continue to suffer in agony?

Every day that passes is another day of trauma.

Another day of fear.

Another day of uncertainty.

Another day that innocent children remain separated from their loved ones.

What happened in Oyo State is more than a news story. It is a humanitarian tragedy affecting real families, real children, and real communities.

These children have dreams.

They have futures.

They have parents waiting desperately for their return.

They should be in classrooms learning lessons, not trapped in fear.

Sadly, many Nigerians are becoming accustomed to stories of mass abductions, attacks, and insecurity. Each new tragedy quickly replaces the previous one, and before long, public attention shifts elsewhere.

But these children must not be forgotten.

Their teachers must not be forgotten.

Their families must not be forgotten.

This is not the time for politics.

This is not the time for excuses.

This is not the time for endless statements.

This is the time for decisive action.

The safe return of every child and every teacher should remain a national priority until they are reunited with their families.

Sixteen days is too long.

The children deserve to come home.

The teachers deserve to come home.

Their families deserve answers.