Nigeria Cannot Keep Celebrating School Rescues While Children Are Still Being Kidnapped

Nigeria breathed a sigh of relief this week.

After 56 days in captivity, the abducted pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State finally returned home.

Parents embraced their children.

Communities celebrated.

The nation thanked the security agencies.

And rightly so.

Every rescued child is a victory.

Every reunited family deserves to celebrate.

But after the celebrations end, Nigeria must ask itself an uncomfortable question.

Why are we celebrating rescues more often than we celebrate prevention?

This is becoming a dangerous national habit.

Children are kidnapped.

The country is horrified.

Weeks or months pass.

Security agencies eventually rescue the victims.

Everyone celebrates.

Then another school is attacked.

The cycle begins again.

That is not sustainable.

A Rescue Means the Criminals Already Succeeded

When armed men enter a school and abduct children, they have already achieved their first objective.

They have demonstrated that they could reach vulnerable pupils.

They have terrified communities.

They have disrupted education.

They have forced families into weeks or months of unimaginable fear.

A successful rescue cannot erase those realities.

Imagine telling a parent:

"Your child was kidnapped, but don't worry—they've been rescued."

Every parent would ask the same question.

Why was my child kidnapped in the first place?

That question deserves an answer.

Schools Should Never Become Crime Scenes

A classroom should represent safety.

Hope.

Learning.

Friendship.

Opportunity.

Not fear.

Not armed men.

Not gunfire.

Not ransom demands.

Every time criminals invade a school, they attack more than children.

They attack education itself.

Teachers become afraid.

Parents become hesitant.

Attendance drops.

Communities lose confidence.

Children begin associating school with danger instead of opportunity.

That damage can last for years.

Prevention Is Cheaper Than Rescue

Nigeria spends enormous resources responding to kidnappings.

Military deployments.

Police operations.

Intelligence gathering.

Medical care.

Investigations.

Court proceedings.

Rehabilitation.

All of these are necessary.

But prevention is almost always less expensive than responding after a tragedy.

Imagine if those same resources were invested in:

• Better intelligence networks.

• Secure fencing for vulnerable schools.

• Emergency communication systems.

• Community policing.

• Rapid-response teams.

• School security training.

• Rural surveillance technology.

Many kidnappings could potentially be disrupted before they begin.

Rural Schools Cannot Be Forgotten

Many school kidnappings happen far from major cities.

These schools often lack adequate security.

Some have no perimeter fencing.

Some have poor road access.

Some are hours away from the nearest security post.

Criminals know this.

That is why governments should identify schools most at risk and prioritise their protection.

Security should not depend on whether a school is located in a wealthy city or a remote village.

Every child deserves equal protection.

We Must Stop Normalising School Kidnappings

One of the greatest dangers facing Nigeria is becoming emotionally accustomed to tragedy.

When the first major school kidnappings happened years ago, the entire country was shocked.

Today, many Nigerians almost expect another one.

That is dangerous.

Children being abducted should never become normal.

Every kidnapping should trigger national outrage—not quiet resignation.

The day Nigerians stop feeling shocked by attacks on schools is the day criminals begin winning a psychological battle.

Politicians Must Be Judged by Prevention

Governments naturally celebrate successful rescue operations.

They should.

Security personnel who risk their lives deserve recognition.

But voters should ask deeper questions.

How many schools became safer this year?

How many attempted kidnappings were prevented?

How much investment went into school security?

How many communities now have emergency response systems?

These are the statistics that matter.

Not just rescue statistics.

Security Is About Confidence

Parents should wake up each morning confident that their children will return home.

Teachers should focus on teaching—not planning escape routes.

Students should worry about examinations—not kidnappers.

Security is not simply the absence of crime.

It is the presence of confidence.

Nigeria must build that confidence again.

A Child's Education Should Never Require Courage

Education changes lives.

It reduces poverty.

Creates opportunity.

Builds nations.

But education becomes impossible when children fear entering classrooms.

No parent should need courage simply to send a child to school.

No teacher should wonder whether today will end in captivity.

That is not the Nigeria any citizen wants.

Nigeria Must Change the Conversation

The release of the Oyo pupils and teachers is wonderful news.

But perhaps the greatest way to honour their ordeal is by ensuring that future children never experience it.

Let us celebrate rescues.

But let us demand prevention.

Because the greatest security success is not rescuing kidnapped children.

It is making sure they are never kidnapped at all.