Civil society organisations and teachers staged a peaceful protest on Friday, May 29, in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state, demanding urgent government intervention to secure the release of teachers and pupils abducted in the Oriire local government area.
The demonstration, reported by Channels TV, saw protesters warning that the safety of teachers and schoolchildren across the state could no longer be treated lightly. The protest was organised by the Oyo State Teachers Action Group in collaboration with the Nigeria Teachers Congress, a non-governmental organisation.
Protest Demands Intensified Rescue Efforts
Addressing the protesters, Reverend Bunmi Thomas, national president of the Nigeria Teachers Congress, said the organisation joined the demonstration in solidarity with the victims and their families. He emphasised that the protest was lawful and aimed at pressing the government to intensify rescue efforts.
Thomas acknowledged reports that efforts were already underway but insisted that the government needed to do more. He stated, "If the government is trying and the desired result has not been achieved, then more efforts must be intensified. We want the government to do more to rescue the teachers and pupils."
He expressed deep concern over the condition of the victims, particularly young children reportedly being held in difficult conditions in the bush. "We have children as young as two and three years old in the bush. They are exposed to rain and harsh weather conditions. These victims are in danger, and nobody knows who could be next," he lamented.
Oyo Government Responds to Protesters
Responding to the protest, Sunday Odukoya, the executive assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on security matters, assured the demonstrators that the government was making active efforts to secure the release of the victims. He said, "This incident is unfortunate, but I want to assure you that the government is not folding its arms over the matter."
Odukoya explained that certain operational details could not be disclosed publicly to avoid jeopardising ongoing rescue efforts. He also assured the teachers that no participant in the protest would face intimidation, victimisation, or harassment.
Background of the Abductions
It would be recalled that armed Boko Haram insurgents abducted 39 students and seven teachers in an attack targeting several schools in Oyo state on May 15. The attack took place in the Ahoro Esinele community in Oriire district, targeting a secondary school and two primary schools.
Elisha Olukayode Ogundiya, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Oyo state, said 46 people, mostly children aged between two and 16 years, were taken away following the attacks. In what police called a "coordinated attack", the outlaws simultaneously raided Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota and two other schools in Esiele, seizing pupils and teachers.
Government Response and Arrests
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned the attack as "barbaric" and promised that the federal government was working with the Oyo state government to rescue all the victims. "We expect a breakthrough soon," he said in a statement released by his office.
Governor Makinde said one abducted teacher was killed on Sunday, May 17, citing a video. Six suspects have been reportedly arrested, including alleged informants and logistics suppliers to the kidnappers, he added.
Security Challenges in Nigeria
Mass kidnappings by armed groups have become a serious security challenge in Nigeria in recent years, with criminal gangs exploiting weak security to target travellers, students, and rural communities for cash payments. Schools are often targeted, although such attacks are rare in the southwestern part of the country.
Legit.ng earlier reported that Oyo Governor Makinde described the fatal attack on five National Park Service forest guard officers in Oloka village by some gunmen as devastating. In a statement, Makinde revealed that preliminary investigations by security agencies indicated the attack was a cross-border operation carried out by bandits.
