The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has challenged the Federal Government to disclose the full circumstances surrounding the release of schoolchildren abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
It also warned that repeated claims of successful rescues without transparency are eroding public confidence in the country’s counterterrorism efforts.
In a strongly worded statement on Saturday signed by it’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the rights advocacy group welcomed the freedom of the pupils, teachers and other victims after more than 50 days in captivity but insisted that Nigerians deserve a comprehensive account of how they regained their freedom.
The group demanded to know whether the victims were rescued through a military operation or released after negotiations, whether any ransom was paid directly or indirectly, and what became of the kidnappers allegedly killed or arrested during the operation.
“The era of announcing the release of kidnapped victims without telling Nigerians the whole truth must end,” HURIWA declared, arguing that transparency is indispensable to democratic accountability.
The organisation questioned official claims surrounding the operation, saying the government cannot continue to shroud national security matters in secrecy while expecting citizens to accept official narratives without scrutiny.
It recalled that similar questions followed previous mass abductions in Niger and Kwara states, where authorities announced the release of victims without publicly accounting for the fate of the kidnappers or addressing persistent allegations of ransom payments.
According to HURIWA, such opacity fuels speculation, emboldens criminal gangs and weakens public trust in government.
The rights group stressed that even if the victims were rescued through military action, the incident exposed a grave failure of intelligence and security that allowed terrorists to invade schools, kill a teacher and hold dozens of children hostage for nearly two months.
It described the beheading of teacher Michael Oyedokun during the ordeal as a tragic symbol of the country’s worsening security crisis, insisting that justice must be served for the slain educator and every victim of the attack.
HURIWA argued that government should not celebrate the victims’ release as an extraordinary achievement because protecting schoolchildren from abduction is a constitutional obligation, not an act of charity.
The organisation therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to publicly apologise to the victims, their families and Nigerians for what it described as a catastrophic breakdown of national security.
It also urged the Federal Government to pay ₦50 million compensation to each victim, saying the funds would assist with medical treatment, psychological rehabilitation, educational reintegration and long-term recovery from the trauma of captivity.
Beyond compensation, HURIWA demanded the immediate nationwide implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative, including strengthened intelligence gathering, modern surveillance systems, rapid-response security architecture and sustained protection for schools across the country.
The group further urged the National Assembly to amend Nigeria’s anti-corruption laws to impose the stiffest constitutional penalties on anyone convicted of diverting or embezzling funds appropriated for defence and national security.
According to HURIWA, corruption within the security sector has become “an indirect assault on the lives of Nigerians” because every naira stolen from defence allocations ultimately weakens the country’s capacity to combat terrorism.
The organisation also reminded the Federal Government that several other schoolchildren remain in terrorist captivity, particularly those abducted in Borno State, urging authorities to deploy every lawful means to secure their freedom.
HURIWA warned against turning the release of the Oyo victims into what it described as a propaganda victory, insisting that the episode should instead provoke national reflection on Nigeria’s persistent inability to prevent repeated attacks on schools.
“Enough of secrecy. Enough of propaganda. Enough of avoidable tragedies,” the organisation declared, maintaining that Nigerians deserve “security, accountability, justice and truth.”
