President Bola Tinubu released a Children’s Day message late at night, but the timing and content have sparked debate as Nigeria grapples with fresh school kidnappings.

In the statement, Tinubu said he spoke “as a father and your President” and assured families of abducted children and teachers in Oyo and Borno that “You are not forgotten. You are not abandoned”. He ordered security agencies to step up coordinated rescue operations and tighten protection for schools in vulnerable areas, including better vulnerability mapping and faster response links.

The message landed hours after Amnesty International reported at least 82 pupils were taken between May 13-15. Gunmen hit schools in Askira Uba and Chibok, Borno, snatching 42 children. Two days later, another 40 were abducted in Oriire LGA, Oyo State. Some victims were as young as two years old.

Critics slammed the 10pm release of the speech, arguing it downplayed the urgency. Amnesty warned that repeated attacks on schools are forcing millions of children out of classrooms and that government inaction threatens the future of education.

While Tinubu assured Nigerians that communities are being secured, the new wave of abductions in Borno and Oyo has renewed pressure on his administration to deliver concrete results on school safety.