There are certain headlines that should never become normal.
The kidnapping of children is one of them.
Recently, disturbing reports coming out of Oyo State, Nigeria, have once again reminded us of the growing insecurity facing innocent families and school communities. Children some barely old enough to understand the dangers around them , have allegedly been abducted from schools and communities, leaving parents devastated, communities terrified, and an entire nation asking the same painful question....
How did we get here?
particularly around rural communities in the Ogbomosho and Oriire areas, reports emerged of armed men invading schools and taking children, beheading a teacher , and community members into nearby forests.
Amnesty International reportedly raised concerns after dozens of children were said to have been abducted within days.
For many Nigerians, this is no longer just “news.”
It feels personal.
Parents now carry fear in their hearts every time they send their children to school. Teachers are expected to educate while worrying about survival. Communities that once felt peaceful now live under anxiety, uncertainty, and trauma.
What makes situations like this especially heartbreaking is that children should never become victims of violence, insecurity, or political failure. A classroom should be a place of dreams, learning, laughter, and hope not fear.
Across social media, many Nigerians have expressed frustration, grief, and anger. Some spoke about how insecurity is beginning to affect everyday life, especially in areas once considered relatively safe.
And beyond the statistics are real human beings:
- mothers unable to sleep,
- fathers desperately searching for answers,
- siblings praying for safe returns,
- and children whose innocence may already be deeply affected by trauma.
This crisis also shines a light on a bigger issue in Nigeria: the normalization of violence. Each new incident trends online for a few days, people react emotionally, and then the country moves on until the next tragedy happens.
But children deserve more than temporary outrage.
They deserve protection.
They deserve functioning security systems.
They deserve to grow up without fear.
And they deserve leaders who treat their safety as urgent and non-negotiable.
A society that cannot protect its children is a society in crisis.
Nigeria is filled with brilliant, talented, resilient young people. Yet many are growing up in an environment where survival sometimes feels more certain than opportunity. That reality should concern every one of us.
This is more than politics.
More than headlines.
More than social media debates.
These are children.
And no child should have to disappear on their way to school.
Its supposed to be a childrens day today, but guess what? its a black one...
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