The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) joins millions of Nigerians and the global community in commemorating this year’s Children’s Day. This important occasion reminds us of our collective duty to protect the rights, dignity, safety, and future of every Nigerian child.
While many children today celebrate with joy and hope, countless others remain trapped in fear, captivity, neglect, and deprivation. It is deeply disturbing that in a country blessed with enormous human and natural resources, many children are still denied access to education, security, and the basic freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution and international human rights instruments.
CDHR expresses grave concern over the growing number of out-of-school children across Nigeria, especially in communities plagued by insecurity, poverty, child labour, forced marriages, displacement, and institutional neglect. Education remains the fundamental pathway to liberation, development, and national progress. Any society that abandons its children endangers its own future.
Of particular concern is the painful situation involving pupils and teachers abducted from their school in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The continued captivity of these innocent children and their educators is unacceptable and constitutes a gross violation of human rights and the sanctity of education.
CDHR therefore calls on the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, security agencies, and all relevant authorities to intensify efforts toward the immediate and safe rescue of the abducted children and their teachers. We insist that no child should suffer trauma, lose access to education, or remain in captivity because of the failure of the state to provide adequate security.
We further urge governments at all levels to:
1. Prioritize the security of schools and learning environments across the country.
2. Implement practical measures to reduce the alarming number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
3. Strengthen social protection systems for vulnerable children and families.
4. Ensure full enforcement of the Child Rights Act and all laws protecting children from abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and violence.
5. Invest more substantially in public education and child welfare programmes.
Children are not statistics; they are human beings with dreams, talents, and immense potential. Every child in captivity is a national emergency. Every child out of school is a challenge to our collective conscience.
As we mark this year’s Children’s Day, CDHR reiterates that the protection of children must move beyond ceremonial speeches to concrete action. Nigeria owes its children safety, education, freedom, and hope.
The future of our nation depends on how we treat our children today.
Signed:
Comrade Debo Adeniran
CDHR President and Secretary Board of Trustee
Comrade Deacon Jeremiah Onyibe
National Publicity Secretary CDHR
Date: May 27, 2026
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