Tinubu Vows Renewed Hunt for Kidnappers, Promises Rescue of Children in Captivity

President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that his administration is intensifying efforts to rescue abducted children and strengthen school security across vulnerable parts of the country.

In his 2026 Children’s Day message, Tinubu told children still in captivity and their families that the government had neither abandoned nor forgotten them, stressing that security agencies had been directed to intensify rescue operations.

“As a father and your President: you are not forgotten. You are not abandoned,” Tinubu said while addressing children, parents and teachers affected by kidnappings in Oyo, Borno and other states.

The president acknowledged the pain of families whose children remain missing, saying some parents could not celebrate Children’s Day because they were still praying for the safe return of their children.

Referencing the 2026 Children’s Day theme, “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child,” Tinubu described the abductions as both a moral crisis and a major security challenge.

“To the families grieving and despondent, your government will not turn your pain into ceremony,” he stated, promising that efforts would continue until kidnapped children were rescued and perpetrators brought to justice.

Tinubu ordered security agencies to sustain and intensify intelligence-led rescue operations focused on safely recovering abducted children.

He also directed urgent improvements in school protection measures in high-risk areas, including updated vulnerability mapping, stronger coordination between state governments and security agencies, rapid response systems for schools and enhanced community early warning networks.

The president further instructed the Federal Ministry of Education and state governments to strengthen implementation of the Safe Schools framework with clearer reporting systems, responsibilities and timelines.