Children’s Day: CEE-HOPE demands urgency in rescue of kidnapped children
As Nigeria joins the global community to celebrate Children’s Day 2026, the Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE) has issued a strong call to the federal and state governments to urgently address the worsening insecurity threatening the lives and wellbeing of Nigerian children.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Betty Abah, the child rights organisation expressed deep concern over the continued exposure of children to abduction, abuse, trafficking, and violence across several parts of the country.
“At a time of severe economic hardship, worsening insecurity and rising desperation, children in many parts of Nigeria continue to face horrifying threats including abduction, abuse, trafficking and violence,” the statement read.
The group cited recent incidents, including the kidnapping of school children in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as well as attacks and abductions affecting children and schools in Borno and Kaduna States.
Abah stressed that the protection of children is both a constitutional and moral duty, referencing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the Child Rights Act 2003, and Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
“The protection of children is not optional; it is both a constitutional and moral obligation,” she said. “These provisions must not remain mere words on paper.”
The organisation warned against the normalisation of violence against children and called on citizens, the media, civil society, and community leaders to keep the protection of children at the centre of public discourse and hold leaders accountable.
CEE-HOPE also expressed worry that national attention appears dominated by political activities and preparations for the 2027 general elections while abducted children remain in captivity and their families endure trauma.
“No political ambition should take precedence over the lives, safety and future of Nigerian children,” the statement emphasised.
The group urged the government to show greater urgency in rescuing abducted children, securing schools and communities, prosecuting perpetrators, and strengthening child protection systems nationwide.
“A nation that fails to protect its children risks endangering its own future,” the statement concluded.
