Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Oyo State have called on residents, workers, teachers, students, and concerned citizens to participate in a peaceful protest scheduled for today, May 29, 2027, over the continued captivity of abducted teachers and students in parts of the state.
The protest, according to the organisers, aims to pressure both the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government to intensify efforts towards rescuing the victims and tackling the worsening insecurity affecting schools and communities.
Former TUC Chairman Expresses Concern
A former Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Oyo State, Andrew Emelieze, expressed concern over what he described as the government's inability to guarantee the safety of teachers, students, and residents.
The flyer described the planned action as a "Peaceful Solidarity Walk" organised by the Oyo State Teachers' Group in solidarity with teachers and students still being held by abductors.
Demand for Temporary School Closures
The organisers of the protest are demanding the temporary closure of schools across Oyo State until the victims regain their freedom, insisting that learning cannot continue under an atmosphere of fear and insecurity.
They said the protest would be held simultaneously in Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Iseyin, and Oyo town, where participants are expected to converge on designated locations by 8:00 a.m.
Participants have also been urged to wear black or white tops as a mark of solidarity with the abducted victims and their families.
Education Rights Campaign Accuses Government
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has accused President Bola Tinubu and the ruling elite of failing Nigerian children amid worsening insecurity and economic hardship, calling on the organised labour to declare a countrywide strike and mass protest.
In a statement signed by its Deputy National Coordinator, Ogunjimi Isaac, and National Mobilisation Officer, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, the group described this year's Children's Day celebration as "gory" for thousands of children allegedly trapped in the grip of terrorists and poverty.
According to the ERC, both the Federal Government and the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde have failed to provide solutions to the worsening insecurity, accusing political leaders of focusing more on the 2027 elections than the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
The group also linked the crisis facing children to the country's economic woes, blaming what it described as the Tinubu administration's "anti-people and neoliberal policies" for rising poverty, hunger, and poor access to education and healthcare.
Call for Nationwide Protests
The ERC called for urgent action, urging the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to mobilise workers and citizens for nationwide protests and industrial action against insecurity and economic hardship.
The group also advocated the creation of a pan-Nigerian, multi-ethnic community defence structure to work with security agencies in protecting schools and communities, while insisting that insecurity cannot be solved through military action alone without addressing poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment.
