President Bola Tinubu has promised that children and teachers abducted in Oyo and Borno states will be brought home safely, as security agencies step up rescue operations nationwide.

In his 2026 Children’s Day address, Tinubu said the occasion was painful for families whose loved ones remain in captivity. Speaking as both a father and president, he told the victims and their families: “You are not forgotten. You are not abandoned”.

The president revealed he had ordered security forces to sustain and intensify intelligence-led rescue missions across the country. He also directed the Federal Ministry of Education and state governments to strengthen the Safe Schools framework and improve early warning systems around vulnerable schools.

Tinubu noted that children who are rescued must get proper medical care, counselling, and support to help them return to normal life. He urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups, and local communities to support security efforts by reporting suspicious activity near schools.

The statement came as Nigeria marked Children’s Day alongside Eid-el-Kabir, a period Tinubu said should remind the nation that children are central to its future and must be protected at all times.