How Many More Children Must Be Taken Before You Act? –By Muhammad Bashir Abdulhafiz

On a day that should have been ordinary, armed men invaded a school in Oyo state and took children away from their desks. These children were not soldiers. They were not politicians. They were little boys and girls whose only ambition was to learn how to read, write, and count. Now, their families wait in agony, not knowing if they will see their loved ones again. I am a young Nigerian. I am supposed to be among the ‘leaders of tomorrow’. But today, I am afraid. I am not afraid of failing an exam or not finding a job. I am afraid that before the sun sets, I or any student I know could be the next headline.

This is not new. We have seen the same horror in Chibok, in Zamfara, in Kaduna, and in Katsina. But every time it happens, a piece of our future dies. As a young Nigerian, I feel it deeply. The kidnapping of these Oyo children is not just a crime against their families. It is an attack on every young person who still dreams of a better Nigeria. Every time a child is kidnapped in Oyo, Kaduna, Katsina, Plateau, Borno or anywhere in this country, we don’t just lose one citizen. We lose a potential doctor, a potential engineer, a potential peacemaker, a potential lawyer, or a potential journalist. But let us be clear: the rampant insecurity, terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry ravaging our land are not just political failures. They are a systematic demolition of the Nigerian future.

Let me explain simply. When bandits and terrorists roam freely, three terrible things happen to our generation.
First, education becomes a gamble. Parents in Oyo and other states are now afraid to send their children to school. Some have already stopped. When a child stays home because the road is too dangerous, that child loses a year of learning. Multiply that by millions across the country. Soon, we will have a generation of young Nigerians who cannot compete with their peers in Ghana, Kenya, or Rwanda. We will become a nation of unskilled, uneducated, and hopeless youth. And a hopeless youth is a easy prey for criminals and extremists.

Second, our minds are being broken. I am in my twenties, and I cannot remember a single year of my life without news of a major kidnapping. Imagine a ten-year-old in Oyo right now. That child has seen videos of abductions, heard gunshots at night, or lost a friend to bandits. Fear changes the brain. It kills creativity, ambition, and trust. We are raising a generation that is anxious, angry, and depress. That is not the foundation of a great country.

Third, the economy strangles us. Every kidnapping forces families to sell land, cattle, or shops to pay ransom. That money does not go to school fees, farming tools, or small businesses. It goes to criminals who buy more guns. Meanwhile, investors avoid insecure areas. No new factories, no new jobs. So a young person like me graduates with a degree and finds nothing. Then, out of desperation, some turn to crime themselves. The cycle continues.

Forth, there is the betrayal of trust. When a government cannot protect its smallest citizens, the social contract is broken. Young Nigerians are watching. We are watching our leaders fly private jets to international conferences to speak about ‘children’s rights’, while children in Oyo sleep on cold rocks in a forest. We are learning that the only law in Nigeria is the law of the gun. That is a dangerous lesson.

Do not treat this as an isolated incident. The abductors of Oyo children are likely part of a network that moves between states. They have tested the government’s response before. They know that after the initial outcry, the world moves on. They know that ransom may be paid quietly. They know that no serious punishment awaits them. That is why they keep striking.

If the Oyo children are not rescued quickly and decisively, every bandit in the North-West and North-Central will see a green light. Every school in the South-West will become a target. The violence will spread like fire.

Advice to Those in Authority
To the President, the Governors, the Security Chiefs, and the National Assembly: We are tired of the press releases. We are tired of the ‘condolences’. I am a young citizen, not a security expert. But common sense speaks loudly. Here is what you must do:
Firstly, rescue the Oyo children first, and do it fast. Every day they remain in captivity, their trauma deepens. Use all intelligence assets. Work with local hunters and vigilantes who know the terrain. Do not wait for negotiations to drag on. Show the nation that the government can act swiftly.

Secondly, publish a national register of convicted bandits and their sponsors. Many kidnappers are known to their communities. They hide because someone protects them. Name the sponsors. Seize their assets. When criminals realize that their wealth and freedom are at risk, they will think twice.

Thirdly, create a special and well-equipped schools protection unit. Do not leave school security to poorly paid local guards. Train and deploy a dedicated force for every high-risk school. Install panic buttons, fences, and watchtowers. This costs money, but it costs less than the ransoms and the lost futures.

Forthly, stop treating kidnapping as a minor crime. Kidnapping should carry a mandatory life sentence with no option of fine. No parole. No presidential pardon for convicted abductors of children. When the punishment is weak, the crime grows strong.

Lastly, invest in rural jobs for young men. Most bandits are young men who have no work and no hope. A hungry, and idle young man is a recruiter’s dream. Create agricultural cooperatives, road construction crews, and skill centers in the very villages where bandits hide. Give them an alternative to the gun. Security is not just bullets, it is bread everyone should taste.

Do not despair, but do not be silent. We are the ones paying the price. We must use our votes like weapons. In the next election, ask every candidate one question: ‘What specific plan do you have to keep me safe on my way to school or work?’ If they cannot answer, they do not deserve your support. We must also organize locally. Form neighborhood watch groups. Use social media to name and shame corrupt security officials. We cannot wait for Abuja to save us, we must pressure them until they do.

The children of Oyo must come home. But when they do, the work will have just begun. We must rebuild a nation where a school is a place of light, not a trap. Let us not wait for the next abduction before we act. The future of Nigeria is not a distant dream. It is the face of that child in Oyo, crying in the dark. It is my face. It is your face. I want to be a leader of tomorrow. But a leader needs a country to lead. Please, do not let the bandits bury us before we are born.

We have the resources, the people, and the intelligence to defeat this evil. What we need is the will. To those in authority: history will judge you not by the speeches you make, but by the children you protect. Please, protect them.

God bless Oyo state.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Muhammad Bashir Abdulhafiz wrote from Jos, and can be reached via abdulhafizmuhammad81@gmail.com instantly.