Nigerian rapper and activist, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, alongside several civil society organisations, has called for nationwide protests over the continued captivity of 81 abducted Nigerian schoolchildren.
They accused the government of failing to deploy its surveillance and security capabilities to rescue the victims despite allegedly using such tools to monitor activists.
The groups, in a joint statement issued on Thursday following the 2026 Children’s Day celebration, condemned what they described as the Federal Government’s indifference to the plight of the abducted children.
The statement partly read, “Yesterday, Wednesday, 27 May 2026, was Children’s Day in Nigeria – an annual holiday to celebrate Nigeria’s children and reflect on government’s efforts to build a thriving future for the new generation.
“Alas, as we marked this year’s celebration, nothing less than 81 Nigerian school children are languishing in captivity.”
According to the statement, the figure includes “39 primary and secondary pupil alongside 7 teachers” abducted from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esinele; and L.A. Primary School, Ahoro-Esinele, all in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The groups added that “another 42 children were abducted on 15 May 2026 by suspected Boko Haram militants during an attack on Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in the Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.”
They also referenced the killing of one of the abducted teachers, saying, “Mr. Oyedokun Olugbade, was beheaded a few days ago.”
Questioning the government’s response to the abductions, the activists asked, “Where are our abducted children? Why have they not been found?”
The groups accused both the Federal and State Governments of carrying on with “business as usual” since the incidents occurred.
“Sadly, since the tragic abduction, Nigeria’s government, both at the Federal and State levels, has mostly carried on with business as usual, occasionally offering platitudinous statements of assurance while doing absolutely nothing to rescue our beloved children,” the statement read.
The activists further argued that security agencies possess the capacity to locate the abducted children but have failed to act.
“We say this because we know quite well, from our experience as civil society activists who have been regularly subjected to hostile surveillance, that Nigeria’s government and its security agencies possess the wherewithal to locate anyone within the territory of the nation,” the statement added.
“The question, therefore, is: why is this state of the art surveillance technology not being deployed to rescue our children?”
The groups also questioned why President Bola Tinubu was “unable to deploy the same firepower and reconnaissance capacity” allegedly used “in December last year to thwart, on behalf of France, a coup against former President Talon of the Republic of Benin.”
The statement further criticised the President’s handling of insecurity, comparing the current administration to that of former President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.
“Just like former President Jonathan in 2014 when the Chibok girls were abducted, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is as clueless about what to do to curb the rampaging insecurity afflicting Nigeria,” the groups said.
The activists added, “A government unable to guarantee this is a failed government. Such a government has no moral authority to ask citizens to vote for it at the next election.”
Calling for nationwide action, the groups urged Nigerians, trade unions and civil society organisations to stage peaceful protests demanding the release of all abducted persons.
“The time has come for the Nigerian working people and youth including trade unions and civil society organizations to hit the street in peaceful nationwide protest to call on President Tinubu to free all Nigerians in captivity including the 81 Ahoro Esinle and Askira-Uba children and guarantee security of lives for all or honorably resign,” the statement read.
Other signatories to the statement included Hassan Taiwo Soweto of the #EndBadGovernanceMovement, Mike Igaga of the Moses Oisakede Leadership Foundation, Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo of the Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement, Rufus Olusesan of PERESSA, Segun Oladunni of the Joint Action Front, Jonathan Ugbal of the Calabar Group of Socialists, Richard Inoyo of Citizens Solution Network, Salako Kayode of the Revolutionary Socialist Movement, Omole Ibukun of the Centre for Creative Change, Adaramoye Michael of the Youth Rights Campaign, Oluwaseyi Akinde of the Committee for Defence of Human Rights, Abdullah Bilal of the Solidarity Network for Workers Rights, and Daniel Akande of the #EndBadGovernanceMovement Abuja.
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