Mary Njoku calls out Nigeria's silence on kidnapped schoolchildren

Nollywood actress and producer, Mary Remmy Njoku, is angry about the kidnapping of schoolchildren in Oyo State. She is questioning how the country is handling the rising insecurity.

In an Instagram story on Tuesday, she said she woke up "angry, heartbroken and deeply unsettled" about the situation of the kidnapped children.

Njoku asked if Nigerians have accepted abductions and violent attacks as normal. She believes there is a growing public numbness towards insecurity.

She wrote, "I woke up this morning, Angry, heartbroken, and deeply unsettled.
“Are we really saying that these kidnapped children are just gone? Are we saying that nothing more can be done? That innocent children and toddlers can vanish, and somehow the rest of us are expected to carry on as though nothing happened?"

Njoku also wondered if repeated kidnappings and bandit attacks have become the new normal in Nigeria.

The Iroko TV boss said the rising number of these incidents makes many Nigerians react with resignation instead of urgency.

"Have we become so numb to the endless reports of bandits, kidnappings, and insecurity in Nigeria that they barely move us anymore? Is this what we’ve accepted as normal?" she added.

Her comments follow widespread anger over the kidnapping of 46 children in Oyo State. This incident has sparked condemnation across the country.

Many Nollywood actors and entertainers have also taken to social media to show their concern about the growing insecurity.

They include Ruth Kadiri, Funke Akindele, Toke Makinwa, Mercy Eke, Patience Ozokwo, Biola Bayo, Sotayo Gaga, Paul Okoye and others. They are all calling for urgent government action to secure the release of the victims and improve safety in schools.

Other figures in the industry, like Muyiwa Ademola, Adeniyi Johnson, Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi and Lala Akindoju, also criticized the rising insecurity. They urged authorities to take stronger steps to protect lives and property.