Leave Rescued Pupils Out of Dirty Politics — Femi Branch Faults Governor Makinde’s Remark

Nigerian actor and filmmaker Femi Branch has called on public office holders to refrain from politicising the recent rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State.

The hostages were freed on Friday following a joint operation by the military, police, and Department of State Services (DSS). They were originally abducted on May 15 from three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area: Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School, Ogbomoso.

In a video posted on Instagram following their release, Branch addressed comments made by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde. The governor had noted that the abduction occurred only hours after he publicly declared his presidential ambition.

The 56-year-old filmmaker appealed to leaders to keep children out of political disputes, emphasizing that both state and federal authorities should prioritize the children’s well-being and mental health over political narratives.

“Whatever dirty politics we are all playing, whatever dirty games we are playing in this country, can we just leave these innocent children out of it?” Branch said. “The children in this country are suffering enough. For 55 days, innocent children were in the bush. Those kids must be attended to because those kids must be traumatised by now.”

Branch added that the governor’s statements insinuated the kidnapping was a political game because it happened right after his announcement.

“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,” the actor concluded.