As anxiety deepens over the fate of school children and teachers who remain in the hands of kidnappers more than one month after their abduction in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, concerned Nigerians have been urged not to allow the growing menace of attacks on schools to become another tragic national norm.
The call comes ahead of the maiden edition of Boiling Point Extra, a special public affairs discourse dedicated to confronting one of the gravest threats to Nigeria’s educational system.
The interview discourse scheduled for Sunday, June 28, 2026, will focus on the theme: “Securing the Classroom: Combating School Kidnappings and Safeguarding Nigeria’s Future.”
Promoter of the platform and veteran broadcaster, Ayo Arowojolu, said the continued captivity of innocent pupils and teachers serves as a painful reminder that every day of inaction compounds the trauma of victims, devastates families and weakens public confidence in the nation’s ability to protect its children.
According to him, while public attention often shifts after the headlines fade, many victims remain in captivity, their parents trapped in anguish and uncertainty.
“Every day a child or teacher spends in captivity is one day too many. We must refuse to become desensitized to these tragedies. A nation that cannot guarantee the safety of its classrooms risks mortgaging its future,” he said.
Arowojolu stressed that the forthcoming discourse is intended not merely to lament the recurring attacks on educational institutions but to galvanise public opinion and generate practical recommendations capable of strengthening school security across the country.
The discussion will bring together retired military officer and security strategist, Col. Lawrence Owosheni, a retired former Assistant Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Mrs. Rachael Awosusi, Strategy and Development Expert, Yinka Quadri and a retired former Director at NTA, Yemi Akintunde who are to lead the conversation.
The two-hour Zoom event, beginning at 8pm, will also be broadcast live on multiple radio stations, enabling millions of Nigerians across the country and in the diaspora to participate in the conversation.
Frontline traditional ruler, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Prof Saka Matemilola is the Chair and Keynote Speaker to herald the session.
Among the partner radio stations are WASH 94.9FM, Lagos, Sweet 107.1FM, Abeokuta, Roots 97.1FM, Abeokuta, Erimbe 94.7FM, Shagamu, Women Radio 91.7FM, Mowe, Opera Tune 106.3FM, Abeokuta, and Kruzz 92.9FM, Asaba, Delta State alongside a cable television station, NSTV, on GOtv Channel.
Arowojolu said Boiling Point Extra was conceived as a demand-driven intervention to ensure that pressing national issues receive immediate public attention rather than waiting for the monthly schedule of Boiling Point Arena.
He called on governments at all levels, security agencies, school proprietors, parents, civil society organisations and community leaders to join hands in ensuring that schools once again become places of learning rather than targets of terror.
“Protecting our classrooms is not the responsibility of government alone; it is a national obligation. If we fail today’s children, history will judge us harshly,” he added.
