As the world marked the Day of the African Child on Monday, June 16, 2025, tragedy struck in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.
Two young boys, aged 14 and 13, were hit by a reckless mini-bus driver while hawking along a federal road. The driver sped off, leaving the injured children in pain and confusion, with one of them left subconscious.
Thanks to the swift intervention of the Centre for Social Awareness, Advocacy and Ethics (CSAAE), the boys were rescued and rushed to safety at a nearby hospital.
Responding to frantic cries for help from distraught bystanders, Blessing Bodunde, CSAAE’s C-Edu Coordinator, and Blessing Odinaka, CSAAE’s Advocacy Officer, sprang into action.
Odinaka accompanied the first injured boy to the hospital immediately. Upon arriving at the scene, the Bodunde noticed that the second boy—who showed no visible injury—was in silent distress.
Acting on instinct, she took him to the same hospital, where it was later discovered that one of his hand bones was broken.
Unfortunately, their troubles didn’t end there. At the hospital, nurses refused to attend to the boys without a ₦10,000 deposit—even as they writhed in pain.
It was at this point that CSAAE’s C-Health Coordinator, Stephen Amadi, stepped in, supporting the doctor who finally attended to the victims.
Amid the crisis, Bodunde engaged the mother of one of the boys in a critical conversation about why her 13-year-old son was hawking during school hours.
Her response: “He didn’t go to school today because of the Sit-at-Home order.”
The second boy gave the same explanation.
This raises important questions:
Are these children truly enrolled in school? If Sit-at-Home days keep them away from classrooms, what happens on regular days? If not for the forced closure, these boys might have been safe in school, learning, not lying in hospital beds.
The tragedy on this Day of the African Child is a painful reminder of what happens when we fail to prioritize education, child safety, and ethical governance.
The consequences of Sit-at-Home go beyond economic disruption—they are now endangering the very lives of our children. We have placed pride, power, and politics above the safety of the next generation.
This has to stop. Street hawking by school-age children must end . The Sit-at-Home order must be reconsidered. Education must be protected at all costs.
We cannot continue to celebrate the African child while leaving them exposed to danger, poverty, and neglect.
On this solemn day, let us recommit ourselves to building a Nigeria where every child is safe, educated, and empowered to dream again