The wife of the Oyo State Governor, Tamunominini Makinde, neither commiserated with the families of the abducted victims nor explicitly mentioned the abduction of schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area in her Children’s Day message.

Checks by Peoples Gazette on Friday showed that Mrs Makinde’s message celebrating the 2026 Children’s Day occasion,  posted on her social media handle on Wednesday, was silent on the tragic incident.

“Children are the future we must nurture with care and compassion. Today, we celebrate their innocence, creativity and limitless potential. Happy Children’s Day to the leaders of tomorrow,” Mrs Makinde stated.

Similarly, in her message on the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir, Mrs Makinde only wished members of the public “countless blessings”, while emphasising the “power of faith and the beauty of giving” as lessons worthy of emulation.

“On this blessed occasion of Eid-el-Kabir, may our obedience and faith bring countless blessings to our homes,” she stated.

Earlier, the Gazette reported that First Lady Remi Tinubu in her message also extended “well wishes and heartfelt love” to children across Nigeria but did not explicitly acknowledge the abduction of schoolchildren, including toddlers, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Mrs Tinubu’s failure to mention the case of the abducted children and students, who are still in the kidnappers’ custody, triggered anger among several netizens.