Children Are Not Political Weapons: Why Edo’s Children’s Day Incident Must Not Be Twisted For Propaganda

In every society, there are moments that test not only leadership but also the conscience of the opposition and the maturity of public discourse.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The unfortunate incident that occurred during the Children’s Day celebration at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City is one of such moments.

What should have remained an isolated security management incident at a massively attended public event was almost immediately weaponised on social media by political actors desperate to manufacture outrage and score cheap political points against the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo.

But beyond the noise, beyond the sensational headlines, and beyond the politically motivated exaggerations, Nigerians must pause and ask a fundamental question:

When did our children become tools for political leverage?

The truth remains that the Children’s Day celebration recorded one of the largest gatherings witnessed in recent years in Edo State. Thousands of pupils and students from different schools across the state trooped into the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium with excitement, energy, and enthusiasm. The turnout itself tells a story many political critics are uncomfortable admitting.

People naturally gravitate toward environments where they feel included, welcomed, and inspired.

The huge attendance did not happen by accident.

It reflected growing public participation and confidence in the state’s educational and social engagement initiatives under Governor Okpebholo’s administration.

Unfortunately, like many large public gatherings across the world, an isolated incident occurred when some excited children reportedly became unruly at one of the access gates, leading to panic and confusion after a security operative deployed tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

Was the situation regrettable? Absolutely.

Should the incident be investigated? Without question.

And to its credit, the Edo State Government did not attempt to deny the occurrence or hide behind silence. The government immediately acknowledged the situation, commenced investigations, ensured medical attention for affected children, and confirmed that those injured had safely reunited with their families.

Even more importantly, the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, who was physically present at the venue, reportedly joined emergency response efforts immediately, helping to coordinate first aid and medical intervention.

That is what responsible governance looks like during moments of crisis:
swift response, accountability, investigation, and care.

But sadly, before facts could breathe, politics had already started running.

Social media merchants of outrage quickly transformed the incident into another opportunity for propaganda. Video clips were circulated without context. Narratives were deliberately exaggerated. Some commentators spoke as though the government intentionally endangered children, ignoring both the reality of crowd management challenges and the immediate response that followed.

This is where society must draw a moral line.

Criticism is legitimate in democracy.

Accountability is necessary in governance.

But exploiting children’s moments of distress to push political hatred reveals something deeply troubling about the character of those driving such narratives.

If the stadium had been empty, the same opposition would have mocked the government for “failure” and “lack of public support.”

Now the stadium was filled beyond expectation, and suddenly the conversation has shifted toward weaponising an unfortunate incident while deliberately ignoring the overwhelming success and participation recorded at the event.

That contradiction exposes the real agenda.

No responsible government celebrates incidents involving children. But no responsible opposition should celebrate panic either.

The focus now should be on improving crowd control, strengthening event security coordination, learning from the incident, and ensuring even safer future public gatherings for children.

That is the mature response.

Not political scavenging.

Not emotional manipulation.

Not manufacturing chaos from an isolated incident.

At a time when Edo State is witnessing renewed conversations around education, infrastructure, security reforms, and youth development, public discourse must rise above the temptation of turning every unfortunate occurrence into a political battlefield.

Children deserve better.

They deserve protection from both physical harm and political exploitation.

And as investigations continue into the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium incident, one thing must remain clear:

Our children should never become ammunition in the dirty wars of politics.

Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah is the `Principal and CEO of Bush Radio academy