The following are the views expressed by Olufemi Oguntokun in the May 27, 2026’s episode of the On the Lord’s Side Podcast – Christian perspectives on news and current events.
ON CHILDREN’S DAY AND THE CHILDREN OF NIGERIA
Today, May 27, 2026, is Children’s Day in Nigeria. And as many schools, institutions, and organizations celebrate children with parades, speeches, funfairs, and festivities, it is important that we pause for a moment and ask ourselves a painful but necessary question:
How are the children of Nigeria truly doing?
Many people may not even know the historical origins of Children’s Day. Historians trace one of its earliest roots to June 1857, when Reverend Dr. Charles Leonard of Chelsea, Massachusetts, dedicated a special church service to children. Over time, the idea evolved globally, especially after the 1925 World Conference on Child Welfare in Geneva and later the United Nations’ adoption of World Children’s Day in 1954.
Nigeria eventually adopted May 27 as Children’s Day after replacing Empire Day.
But honestly, in a country where children as young as two years old are reportedly being held in kidnappers’ dens, what exactly are we celebrating?
That is the painful contradiction confronting Nigeria today.
ON CHILDREN IN KIDNAPPERS’ DENS
I recently searched across several AI platforms trying to estimate how many children are presently believed to be in the captivity of terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers in Nigeria.
One estimate suggested over 400 children.
Think carefully about that.
Hundreds of children.
Some abducted from schools.
Some abducted from villages.
Some taken alongside nursing mothers and teachers.
Some as young as two years old.
And these are merely estimates. The real figures may be far worse.
The reports specifically referenced recent attacks in Borno and Oyo States, where dozens of children remain missing following coordinated school attacks. UNICEF also continues to warn that millions of Nigerian children face threats of violence, recruitment into armed groups, and disruption of education because of terrorism and insecurity.
Now, when people hear phrases like “children in captivity,” it is easy to become emotionally numb because we have heard such stories repeatedly for years.
But stop and think about what this actually means.
Some of these children are sleeping in forests tonight.
Some are likely starving.
Some are being beaten.
Some are already being indoctrinated.
Some are probably being groomed into future militias and terrorist gangs.
This is not abstract politics.
This is human tragedy.
And increasingly, it is becoming normalized in Nigeria.
That should terrify every person of conscience.
ON TERRORISM, FEAR, AND THE ISLAMIZATION QUESTION
Many people still ask, “What exactly do these terrorists want?”
But honestly, at this point, we should stop pretending not to understand.
Terrorism fundamentally seeks to impose ideas and systems through fear. Terror is designed to force submission.
And if we are being truthful, many Nigerians are no longer naïve about the ideological dimensions of what is happening.
There was a time when people dismissed concerns about attempts to Islamize parts of Nigeria as paranoia or conspiracy theories. But when terrorists repeatedly target schools, villages, churches, and communities while openly instilling fear into populations, people naturally begin asking deeper questions.
If terrorists distributed leaflets in certain communities today warning people not to come out on a particular day, many citizens would obey the terrorists rather than trust government reassurances.
Why?
Because fear has already been successfully implanted.
That is what terror does.
And sadly, many Nigerians now trust terrorists’ threats more than government assurances.
That alone reveals how catastrophic the security collapse has become.
ON NORMALIZING NATIONAL TRAGEDY
One of the most heartbreaking things about this season is how quickly Nigerians seem to normalize horrors.
Children are abducted.
Teachers are beheaded.
Families are destroyed.
Communities are emptied.
And after a few days, public discourse simply moves on.
We must resist that normalization.
We must never become comfortable with evil.
I looked at several newspaper front pages this morning and felt deeply saddened. On a day that should have been dominated by national mourning and urgent reflection about abducted children, many headlines instead focused on ordinary political maneuverings and partisan disputes.
Meanwhile, there are children in forests.
Children in captivity.
Parents crying.
Spouses grieving.
Communities traumatized.
And many politicians continue carrying on as though all is well.
It should not be so.
ON CHRISTLIKE COMPASSION AND THE PLACE OF PRAYER
As Christians, we cannot respond to these things with indifference.
Philippians 2 tells us to have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. And what was one of Christ’s defining characteristics? Compassion.
Jesus spoke about the shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to seek one that is lost.
If heaven rejoices over one lost sheep, how much more should Christians grieve over hundreds of children in captivity?
And yes, some people will say:
“We have been praying since Chibok.”
“We have been praying for Leah Sharibu.”
“We have prayed for years.”
But Jesus Himself taught in Luke 18 that men ought always to pray and not faint.
We cannot stop praying simply because answers seem delayed.
Prayer is not our last resort.
Prayer is our duty.
And frankly, many ordinary Christians feel powerless politically. Most of us are not presidents. We are not military commanders. We do not control state institutions.
But we can pray.
And Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God intervenes in impossible situations.
The same God who gave Gideon victory with a tiny army is still God today.
ON THE ESTIMATED 30,000 ARMED FULANI MILITANTS
A particularly alarming report released by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom estimated that approximately 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria in groups ranging from 10 to 1,000 members.
Now, honestly, Nigerians do not need foreigners to tell them insecurity exists. We are living through it daily.
But the scale of the estimate is staggering.
And perhaps even more troubling is the reality that many of these terrorist groups recruit from abandoned, neglected, and vulnerable populations.
A nation that abandons its children eventually creates fertile ground for radicalization.
Children without education.
Children without stable homes.
Children without meaningful opportunities.
Children roaming streets neglected by both society and leadership.
Terrorist groups recognize vulnerability when they see it.
And they recruit accordingly.
ON THE NEED FOR NATIONAL PRAYER
This is why churches, ministries, and Christian communities must not remain silent.
Every believer should be praying for Nigeria at this time.
Churches should organize prayer meetings.
Families should pray together.
Christian organizations should intercede fervently.
I was deeply encouraged to learn that the Winning Warrior Wives Fellowship scheduled a prayer session specifically focused on children in bondage in Nigeria.
That is the right spirit.
We must stand in the gap for these children.
Not only those physically kidnapped, but also children spiritually captured by drugs, addictions, violent ideologies, internet corruption, and destructive cultural influences.
Nigeria’s children are under assault in multiple ways simultaneously.
And Christians must recognize that reality.
ON THE ABUJA BUSINESSMAN DEATH AND CHILDREN ATTACKING PARENTS
Another deeply troubling story making rounds concerns the death of a businessman in Abuja under controversial circumstances reportedly involving his son after an argument over money and extravagant spending.
Now, there appear to be conflicting reports, and one must be careful not to prematurely conclude details before investigations are finalized.
But one thing is increasingly undeniable: we are living in deeply troubled times.
Across different societies now, stories are emerging of children attacking parents over money, internet restrictions, addictions, and personal frustrations.
This reflects deeper spiritual and moral crises within homes and societies.
And on Children’s Day especially, Christians should not merely think about children physically held by terrorists. We should also think about children spiritually captured by darkness.
Children captured by drugs.
Children captured by pornography.
Children captured by destructive ideologies.
Children captured by rebellion and godlessness.
And we should pray fervently that God preserves our children for Himself.
ON THE SCOTTISH SCHOOL VIDEO AND CHRISTIAN EXCEPTIONALISM
Another video that caught my attention showed young Scottish schoolchildren visiting a mosque and being taught Islamic prayer postures. According to the report, nearly all the children participated except one young boy who refused to bow.
Now, some people may dismiss this as harmless multicultural exposure.
But honestly, Christians must understand the deeper realities of ideological and religious influence.
Children imitate what they repeatedly see modeled before them.
And many Western societies now operate within spiritual vacuums because generations abandoned intentional Christian discipleship.
Into that vacuum, other ideologies inevitably enter.
That is how cultural transformation happens.
But what struck many viewers was the courage — intentional or instinctive — of the one child who refused to bow while others complied.
And immediately one remembers Daniel.
One remembers the three Hebrew boys.
Everybody else bowed.
They did not.
There is something profoundly important about Christian courage in hostile or compromising environments.
As the old hymn says:
“Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone,
Dare to have a purpose firm,
Dare to make it known.”
And honestly, Christians today desperately need that kind of courage again.
ON CHARLES TAYLOR, HISTORY, AND THE GLORY OF THE WORLD
Finally, I came across a fascinating video from Liberia showing abandoned vehicles once used by former Liberian warlord and president Charles Taylor.
At one point in the 1990s, Charles Taylor was one of the most feared and powerful men in West Africa.
Today, he is serving a lengthy prison sentence.
And his once-impressive bulletproof vehicles now sit abandoned, vandalized, and decaying.
Seeing those images immediately brought one phrase to mind:
Sic transit gloria mundi.
Thus passes the glory of the world.
And honestly, every politician, celebrity, wealthy businessman, and public figure should reflect deeply on that truth.
The cars that command admiration today will one day become scrap.
The mansions people envy today will one day become ruins.
The powerful names that dominate headlines today will one day mean almost nothing.
Jesus Himself pointed toward this reality when His disciples admired the magnificence of the Jerusalem Temple. He told them that a time was coming when not one stone would remain upon another.
And Peter similarly reminded believers that all earthly things will ultimately pass away.
So what truly matters?
What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?
That remains the great question confronting every human being.
May God teach us to number our days and apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Thank you for listening to On the Lord’s Side — Christian perspectives on news and current events on GospelBellsRadio.com.
Whatever you do today, remain firmly on the Lord’s side.
