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Former presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi has issued an emotional, urgent appeal to the captors of abducted school children, begging them to release the victims “immediately” after graphic images emerged showing the young students with flagellated, wounded bodies.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Obi said he was “deeply shocked and heartbroken” by the condition of the children, calling the scene a “painful reminder of the depth of insecurity in our land.”

“I have always made it clear that the society we abuse today will take its revenge on our children tomorrow,” Obi wrote. “When I first began making that statement, some of these children were not even born. This is a classic example of how the abuse of governance and society today can produce devastating consequences long after the abusers are gone.”

The former Anambra State governor linked the current crisis to broader governance failures, warning that “the loans our leaders take today will hurt our children in the future, as many of them will mature for repayment and consequences long after we are gone.”

Addressing the abductors directly, Obi appealed to their conscience: “Remember that these are innocent children — sons and daughters of people who have placed their hopes, dreams, and entire future in them. In every one of them, you will find reflections of your own children, your own family, and your own humanity.”

He insisted that “no grievance, no hardship, no justification can ever outweigh the sanctity of a child’s life and innocence,” adding that even at this dark moment, “there is still room for remorse, for humanity, and for a change of heart.”

Obi concluded with a direct plea: “I therefore appeal to your sense of mercy: release these children immediately. Let them go. Return them safely to society to reunite with their families.”

As of press time, security agencies had not confirmed the exact location or number of children involved in the latest abduction, but the images circulating online have sparked widespread outrage and renewed calls for urgent action to end the wave of school kidnappings across the country.