A former national chairman of the Youth Democratic Party (YDP), , has criticised Nigeria’s political class, saying they are preoccupied with elections while children are “agonising in captivity” in the hands of abductors across the country.
Dakpokpo said she was deeply pained by recent cases of child abductions, particularly in Oyo State, where children as young as two years were reportedly kidnapped, describing the situation as “heartbreaking and inhuman.”
The former deputy secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) made the remarks in an interview, expressing concern that while insecurity worsens, political actors remain focused on party primaries and election preparations.
“On Children’s Day, I couldn’t even put up my children’s pictures or the normal Children’s Day messages on my WhatsApp status. I had those kidnapped children on my WhatsApp status because we have never had it this bad in our country,” she said.
“A two-year-old child to be kidnapped, three-year-old, four-year-old children. It’s unimaginable. It’s inhuman. I can’t comprehend it.”
Dakpokpo lamented the emotional trauma faced by parents of abducted children, noting that the suffering is difficult to imagine.
“As a mother, I can’t imagine what the parents of those children are going through—the emotional turmoil, the mental torture. I can’t,” she said.
She recalled previous mass abductions, including the Chibok schoolgirls’ case, expressing concern that the security situation has continued to deteriorate over the years.
“It started with Chibok. Those girls were taken away and there was so much noise and we don’t know where those girls are today. And then it just kept getting worse and worse and worse. And now we are having two-year-olds kidnapped,” she said.
“How low are we going to get before we say enough is enough?”
Dakpokpo called for urgent action, insisting that the lives of citizens should not be subordinated to political ambitions.
“It’s not about politics, it’s about lives. Those children deserve a future,” she said.
She also urged Nigerian leaders to embrace selfless and visionary leadership, warning against political choices based on ethnicity or religion.
“We need selfless, visionary leadership. We need to stop playing politics with the lives of Nigerians,” she said.
