Nollywood actor Femi Branch has appealed to Nigerian politicians to stop politicising issues affecting the safety and wellbeing of children, following the recent release of pupils and teachers abducted in Orire, Oyo State.
The actor made the appeal in a video shared on his Instagram page on Saturday, amid growing concerns over the recurring abduction of schoolchildren across the country.
The 46 pupils and teachers kidnapped in Orire regained their freedom on Friday, July 10, 2026, after spending 56 days in captivity.
Reacting to remarks by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on the incident, Branch urged political leaders to leave children out of political battles, saying innocent children should never become victims of political interests.
“I just want to make an appeal and beg us in this country. I’m not directing this to anybody, but I’m begging all of us that whatever dirty politics that we’re all playing, can we just leave the innocent children out of it. The children in this country are suffering enough.
“The so-called schools they are going to, the quality of education and everything is scrambled. They are suffering enough. Can we just leave them out of this dirty politics that we’re playing? Innocent children were in the bush for 56 days. Those kids must be traumatised by now and need to be attended to.
“The governor came out and said he declared to be president at 4 p.m., and by 9 a.m. the next morning, the children and teachers were taken away, thereby insinuating that it was a political game. Can we just leave these poor children out of our dirty politics? Please, I’m not attacking or calling out anybody. I’m just appealing to us to leave the innocent children out of our madness,” he said.
Branch stressed that children are already facing enough challenges in the country and called on political leaders to prioritise their safety and wellbeing instead of dragging them into political disputes.
