From Our Correspondents, Abeokuta, Benin, Ibadan, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt, Osogbo and Enugu
A wave of grief, anger and defiance swept across Nigeria on Tuesday as thousands of teachers, parents, civil society members and students took to the streets in multiple states to demand the immediate release of 39 pupils and seven teachers abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State over two weeks ago – while also voicing alarm over similar attacks in Borno State.
https://youtu.be/Zm8rY8U97I4?si=2LgtpA-K-jaVwc98
The nationwide protests, coordinated by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and various human rights organisations, followed the reported beheading of one of the abducted teachers, Mr Michael Oyedokun, a Mathematics teacher at Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinle.
Across the country, demonstrators brandished placards bearing haunting messages: “One Abducted Child, One Nation in Chains,” “Nigeria, Our Blackboards Are Turning into Graveyards,” and “Teachers’ Lives Matter.” In some states, protesters threatened a nationwide strike if the Federal Government failed to secure the victims’ unconditional release.
OYO: ‘This Is a National Distress,’ Says Makinde as Protesters Storm Government House
The protest reached its highest pitch in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, where the Take-It-Back Movement was joined on Tuesday by ANCOPSS, the NLC and NANS. Hundreds of demonstrators converged at Agbowo, near the University of Ibadan main gate, and marched through Sango and Mokola before gathering at the entrance to the state secretariat complex at Agodi.
Heavily armed soldiers, police officers and civil defence personnel were deployed to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
The protest was led by the Oyo State Chairman of the NUT, Comrade Fatai Hassan; the Oyo NLC Chairman, Comrade Kayode Martins; and the National President of NANS, Comrade Babatunde Akinteye.
Addressing Governor Seyi Makinde at his office, Comrade Hassan declared that teachers across the state would not resume duties until the abducted pupils and their colleagues regained their freedom.
Comrade Martins and Comrade Akinteye described the incident as unacceptable, noting that Oyo State had long been regarded as one of the most peaceful in the country. They urged the Federal Government, state governments and security agencies to intensify rescue efforts.
In a lengthy response, Governor Makinde appealed for unity and patience, warning against attempts to politicise the tragedy.
“I have had the opportunity to engage with the leadership of NANS, NUT and NLC. Let me say this clearly: this is a time of national distress. It is not the time to trade blames and to play politics. I am personally distressed,” he said.
“My own father was a primary school teacher. He actually taught at Ahoro Dada, which is less than 15 kilometres to where this incident happened. My father was there between 1959 and 1960, and if something like this had happened to him, maybe I wouldn’t have even been born. So, it is not the time for us to say, ‘It is the president that should have handled this, it is the governor or the local government.’ This is the time to pull together as one.
“We are not dealing with normal human beings. Just think briefly: how will somebody take a fellow human being and slaughter him? Is that somebody that is normal? So these are not normal people. I can only appeal to you, the students, the workers, the teachers, to please have trust in your government. We are doing our best.”
He assured the protesters that both federal and state governments were collaborating to secure the victims’ rescue. “I can give you the assurance that our children and their teachers, by the grace of God, will return safely,” he said.
OGUN: ‘Government Must Rise Up to Its Security Responsibilities’
In Abeokuta, members of the NLC, NUT, civil society organisations and local residents marched through major streets to the Governor’s Office at Oke-Mosan. The demonstration came a day after a similar protest by nursing mothers and other residents on Monday.
Carrying placards reading “Set Our Teachers and Pupils Free,” “Stop the Attacks on Schools,” and “Government Must Rise Up to Its Security Responsibilities,” the protesters sang solidarity songs and used megaphones to draw attention to what they called the growing threat insecurity poses to education.
“Electricity, zero. Security, zero. The only system we are managing is education, and now they want to collapse it. We will resist all such plans,” some chanted.
The National Chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Comrade Yinka Folarin, called on security agencies to intensify efforts.
“As a matter of responsibility, we are not supposed to live in fear in our own country. Government must create an enabling environment, while citizens must support efforts toward maintaining peace and sustainable security,” he said.
“We are in a dilemma as a nation. Our freedom of movement is no longer guaranteed, and we continue to witness the dehumanisation and humiliation of innocent victims. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Every well-meaning Nigerian must rise to speak for the voiceless.”
The National President of the NUT, Comrade Titus Amba, represented by the union’s National Vice-President, Comrade Titilope Adebanjo, lamented that teachers and students now attend classes under constant fear.
“Education remains one of the few enduring legacies we have as a nation. It is unfortunate that insecurity is threatening to destroy it. Teachers are in classrooms with fear, students are in classrooms with fear. This should not be so,” he said.
The Ogun State NLC Chairman, Comrade Hameed Benco, warned that further drastic actions could follow if the government failed to act. “We want all the abductees released. This nationwide protest is to express our feelings to the Federal Government. If nothing is done, further actions may follow. We expect the government to act now,” he said.
EDO: ‘The Government Has Kept Mute’ – NUT Protests Abduction in Oyo and Borno
In Benin City, members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo State Chapter, trooped out to the streets on Tuesday to protest the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oyo and Borno States.
The teachers gathered in large numbers at the Teachers’ House, Ogida Quarters, before embarking on a peaceful protest, decrying government complacency over the plight of the abducted victims, who have spent more than two weeks in captivity.
They carried placards with different inscriptions, including: “Teachers’ Lives Matter”, “The Classroom Must Not Become a Battlefield”, “Bring Back Our Teachers in Oyo”, among others.
Speaking, the Chairman of the NUT, Edo State Chapter, Comrade Lucky Imaruagheru, faulted the kidnap and beheading of a teacher in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State. He decried the inaction of the government and added that the union would no longer stay aloof while their colleagues and pupils suffered in the hands of kidnappers.
“We saw the kidnapping and beheading of a teacher in Oyo State, and the government has kept mute on the plight of these children, and we are not going to stay aloof. We cannot allow ourselves to be used as sacrificial lambs while we give our energy, our time, and our resources to make Nigeria a better country,” he said.
“But our leaders are keeping mute. It is not acceptable to us. We teachers cannot accept that. They should rise up to their responsibilities,” he concluded.
BAYELSA: Emotional Tears as NUT Warns of Nationwide Strike
In Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State chapter of the NUT staged a warning protest, marching from the OMPADEC field in Amarata along the busy Mbiama-Yenagoa road to Government House.
protesters on Tuesday
The state chairman, Comrade Richman Otobo, said the protest was in response to a directive from the national leadership. He described the action as a one‑day warning to test the Federal Government’s responsiveness.
“We want the federal government to ensure that the children and teachers being held captive are released without delay,” he stated, warning that the national body could declare a total nationwide strike if the victims remained in captivity.
An emotional moment occurred when Comrade Akada Emomotimi, chairman of the NUT Sagbama local government branch, broke down in tears.
“Every day we are crying they should release these children for us, they should release our teachers,” she said tearfully. “Without teachers there can be no nation.”
RIVERS: Fubara Assures Safety, as NUT Demands End to ‘Endangered Species’ Status
In Port Harcourt, members of the NUT, Rivers State Wing, staged a peaceful protest at Government House, demanding an end to attacks on schools.
The state NUT Secretary, Comrade Bassey Asuquo, described teachers as an “endangered species”.
“The school is supposed to be a sanctuary, a place where the future of our nation is nurtured, shaped and prepared for greatness. But what we have witnessed in Oyo State is a brutal attack on a school and the cold‑blooded beheading of our noble colleague. It is not only a crime against education itself, it is an assault on our collective future as a people,” he said.
“Let it be known that what happened in Oyo State is not an isolated incident. We have seen similar acts of terror in Borno State. We have watched helplessly as schools, the temples of knowledge, are turned into theatres of horror. We refuse to be silenced. We refuse to accept this as the new normal.”
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwagor, assured the protesters that the state government had been working closely with security agencies to prevent similar incidents in Rivers.
OSUN: ‘When Teachers Are Safe, the Nation Is Safe’
Teachers across Osun State converged at Ataoja School of Science and marched to the Governor’s Office in Osogbo, carrying placards reading “When Teachers Are Safe, the Nation Is Safe” and “Every Child Deserves a Safe Living Environment.”
The Osun NUT Chairman, Babalola Babatunde, said the Oyo incident had heightened fears among education workers, many of whom commute through remote areas vulnerable to attacks.
“Schools must remain safe environments for teaching and learning. Continued attacks on educational institutions could discourage parents from sending their children to school,” he said.
“The recurring cases of attacks on schools in different parts of the country require urgent and coordinated action from relevant authorities. The safety of teachers and students must be treated as a priority.”
The governor, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Muritala Jimoh, said efforts were ongoing by both the Oyo State and Federal Governments to secure the release of all abducted victims.
ENUGU: NUT Commends Mbah, But Calls for Rescue of Colleagues
In Enugu, the NUT took a different tone, commending Governor Peter Mbah for providing a safe learning environment while using the solidarity protest to demand the rescue of abducted colleagues in Oyo State.
The state NUT Chairman, Comrade Odo Theophilius, said: “We thank Governor Peter Mbah for his security network in Enugu State. We are experiencing a better security situation here. We are not saying the government has not done anything for us; rather, we acknowledge that it has done so much for teachers in Enugu State.”
The National Deputy President of the NUT, Comrade Kizito Kalu, who attended from Abuja, lauded the governor’s support for education and pledged to relay the outcome of the solidarity action to the union’s national leadership.
The Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, responded: “For somebody to go to work and get abducted is something no government wants. People should be able to go to work and return home safely. The life of every citizen and every teacher matters.”
NATIONAL RESPONSE: ANCOPSS Declares ‘Injury to One Is Injury to All’
The national leadership of ANCOPSS launched a nationwide protest on Tuesday, directing principals across the country to join solidarity rallies.
In a statement, the association’s national secretary, Taiwo Akuben, said the physical, emotional and psychological trauma being endured by the victims and their families remained a matter of grave national concern.
ANCOPSS National President, Dr Robert Ike Okorie, instructed all state executives, including the Federal Capital Territory, to mobilise school principals for peaceful rallies. The association described the abduction as an attack on the entire education community, stressing that “an injury to one is an injury to all”.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of a specialised security unit equipped with advanced rescue capabilities to facilitate the safe recovery of the abducted students and teachers, according to sources.
A federal delegation led by Femi Gbajabiamila and Nuhu Ribadu has also visited Ogbomoso to assess the situation and reassure residents.
As night fell on Tuesday, the abducted pupils and teachers remained in captivity, and the nationwide protests showed no sign of abating.
Follow Stonix News
Stay updated with our latest news and updates:
📢 WhatsApp Channel:
Join our WhatsApp Channel
📘 Facebook:
Follow us on Facebook
🎵 TikTok:
Follow us on TikTok
▶️ YouTube:
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
