Nollywood actor Femi Branch has called on Nigerian politicians to stop turning issues involving children into political battles, especially in the wake of the recurring abductions of schoolchildren across the country.
The actor made the appeal in a video shared on his Instagram page on Saturday morning following the release of the 46 pupils and teachers of Orire Community High School in Oyo State who were recently freed after weeks in captivity.
The victims regained their freedom on Friday, July 10, 2026, after spending 56 days in the hands of their abductors, bringing relief to their families and communities who had anxiously awaited their return.
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Reacting to comments made by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over the incident, Branch expressed concern over what he described as the politicisation of school abductions and insecurity in the country.
He said: “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, they are suffering enough.”
He continued: “The so-called school they are going, the quality of the 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 traumatized by now and needed to be attended to.”
The actor criticised political leaders for using such painful incidents to score points against one another, stressing that the safety and wellbeing of children should rise above political interests and party affiliations.
He said: “The governor came out and said he declared to be president at 4pm and by 9am the next morning is when they packed the children and the teachers away, thereby insinuating that it was a political game.
He concluded: “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, please.”
WATCH VIDEO HERE:https://www.instagram.com/reel/
