Activist Slams Political Priorities Amidst Abduction Crisis

A former national chairman of the Youth Democratic Party (YDP) has strongly criticised Nigeria’s political class, accusing them of being overly preoccupied with electoral processes while children across the country endure “agonising in captivity” at the hands of abductors. The former official, deeply affected by recent child abductions, particularly in Oyo State where infants as young as two years old were reportedly kidnapped, described the crisis as “heartbreaking and inhuman.”

During an interview, the former deputy secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) expressed grave concern that the nation’s insecurity continues to escalate, yet political actors remain singularly focused on party primaries and preparations for upcoming elections. She highlighted the personal impact of this crisis, stating, “On Children’s Day, I couldn’t even put up my children’s pictures or the normal Children’s Day messages on my WhatsApp status. I had those kidnapped children on my WhatsApp status because we have never had it this bad in our country.” The thought of children aged two, three, and four being kidnapped was deemed “unimaginable,” “inhuman,” and beyond her comprehension.

As a mother, she conveyed an inability to fully grasp the “emotional turmoil” and “mental torture” that parents of abducted children must be experiencing. She drew a parallel to past mass abductions, such as the Chibok schoolgirls’ case, lamenting that despite the initial outcry, the fate of many of those girls remains unknown, and the security situation has only worsened since then. “It started with Chibok... And then it just kept getting worse and worse and worse. And now we are having two-year-olds kidnapped,” she observed, questioning the extent of deterioration before a collective “enough is enough” is declared.

In her impassioned plea, the former YDP chairman called for immediate and decisive action, asserting that the lives of Nigerian citizens must never be subordinated to political ambitions. She unequivocally stated, “It’s not about politics, it’s about lives. Those children deserve a future.” Furthermore, she implored Nigerian leaders to embrace selfless and visionary leadership, cautioning against political decisions influenced by ethnicity or religion. Her message was clear: “We need selfless, visionary leadership. We need to stop playing politics with the lives of Nigerians.”