PRESS STATEMENT
THE RELEASE OF THE ABDUCTED STUDENTS IS WELCOME, BUT NIGERIANS DESERVE MORE THAN PERIODIC FREEDOMS FROM CAPTIVITY
The Take It Back Movement welcomes the safe release of the students and teachers abducted in Oyo State after spending 53 harrowing days in captivity. We share in the relief and joy of their families, loved ones, and communities, who endured weeks of fear, uncertainty, and anguish while awaiting their safe return. Their release is a welcome development and brings an end to a traumatic ordeal that should never have occurred.
We salute the courage, resilience, and endurance of the victims throughout their captivity. We also acknowledge the unwavering determination of Nigerians, members of the Take It Back Movement, civil society organisations, activists, community leaders, and all conscientious citizens who refused to allow the victims to be forgotten. Our collective voices and sustained public pressure once again demonstrated that the people remain the greatest force against injustice and official complacency.
While we are relieved by their freedom, we unequivocally condemn the shamefully prolonged period these innocent Nigerians were left in the hands of armed criminals. No society that claims to value human life should normalize the abduction of school children and teachers or celebrate delayed rescue efforts as though they are extraordinary achievements. The fact that innocent citizens could be held captive for so long is yet another indictment of the deepening failure of the Nigerian state to discharge its primary constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.
The growing epidemic of mass abductions, killings, and violent attacks across the country has exposed the alarming collapse of public security. Nigerians have endured far too many avoidable tragedies while governments continue to offer promises instead of lasting solutions. This cycle of insecurity has become intolerable and demands urgent, decisive, and accountable action rather than routine official assurances.
The Take It Back Movement therefore calls on Nigerians not to become desensitised to these recurring horrors. We must continue to organise, speak out, and build sustained popular pressure to compel those in authority to confront the insecurity crisis with the seriousness, urgency, and competence it demands. The safety of Nigerians cannot be left to chance, nor should citizens be forced to live under the constant threat of kidnapping and violent attacks.
We stand in solidarity with every victim of insecurity across the country and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the struggle for a Nigeria where children can attend school without fear, communities can live in peace, and every citizen can exercise their rights free from the menace of criminal violence.
Signed:
Sanyaolu Juwon
National Coordinator
Take It Back Movement
Leave a Reply