By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria has given President Bola Tinubu a 24-hour ultimatum to secure the release of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, warning that continued failure to rescue the victims would amount to a dereliction of the government’s constitutional responsibility to protect citizens.
The rights advocacy group, in a statement issued on Saturday by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, expressed concern that more than two weeks after the abduction of the pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, they remain in captivity despite assurances from authorities.
HURIWA described the prolonged ordeal of the victims and their families as a troubling reflection of the country’s worsening security situation and questioned the effectiveness of efforts being made to secure their release.
The group argued that the continued detention of the schoolchildren represented a serious failure of the state’s obligation to guarantee the safety and welfare of citizens as provided for under the Constitution.
“It is timely to remind the president that the Oyo State children held in bondage as hostages of heartless terrorists and killers are our own children and our own kinsmen and women as citizens of Nigeria,” the statement read.
The organisation said that while government officials had repeatedly assured Nigerians that efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims, there had been little visible progress, leaving parents and communities in anguish.
According to HURIWA, the inability to secure the release of the abducted children after more than two weeks raises concerns about the nation’s security architecture and the capacity of authorities to respond swiftly to incidents involving vulnerable citizens.
Citing 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 group said the provision imposes a fundamental obligation on any administration.
“No government can demand the confidence of its citizens while innocent children remain in the custody of armed criminals for weeks,” HURIWA stated.
The association also threw its weight behind ongoing protests by parents, teachers and civil society groups in Oyo State, describing the demonstrations as a legitimate response to the continued captivity of the victims.
According to the group, citizens have a right to demand accountability from those entrusted with the responsibility of protecting lives and property.
HURIWA further criticised what it described as the subdued response of organised labour and education stakeholders, including the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Nigeria Union of Teachers, arguing that the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers should have generated sustained nationwide outrage.
The group said the incident was not merely a local security challenge but an assault on the country’s education system and future generations.
It also expressed disappointment that student bodies across the country had not mounted stronger campaigns demanding the release of the victims.
“The tears of the parents, the fears of the teachers, and the suffering of the kidnapped children demand urgent action not routine statements,” the organisation said.
School abductions have remained one of the most disturbing dimensions of Nigeria’s security crisis in recent years, with several incidents recorded across different parts of the country. Rights groups and security experts have repeatedly warned that attacks on schools not only endanger lives but also discourage enrolment and undermine access to education.
Against this backdrop, HURIWA called on security agencies to intensify rescue efforts and ensure the safe return of all the abducted pupils and teachers without delay.
The organisation also urged civil society groups, religious leaders, professional bodies and community organisations to sustain peaceful advocacy aimed at keeping public attention on the plight of the victims.
Insisting that the matter required immediate intervention at the highest level of government, HURIWA said the lives of the abducted children and teachers must not be reduced to statistics.
“Their lives are priceless, and Nigeria must bring them home immediately,” the group stated.
As of the time of filing this report, there had been no official response from the Presidency to the ultimatum.