Oyo Schoolkids Are Free, But Their Real Fight for Survival Is Just Beginning

By Tunde Okoro

Fifty days in captivity. Fifty days of fear, hunger, and uncertainty. When the Oyo schoolchildren finally walked free, Nigeria celebrated. But let's be real for a second. Freedom from a kidnapper's den doesn't mean freedom from the trauma that lives inside your head. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has dropped a truth bomb that every single one of us needs to hear: medical checks for these survivors must include mental evaluation. No shortcuts. No pretending everything is fine because they can smile for the cameras.

Professor Afekhide Ernest Omoti, the NMA President, didn't mince words when he spoke to us. He made it crystal clear that the moment a kidn