Hundreds of teachers and civil society activists on Friday took to the streets of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, demanding the immediate and safe release of teachers and schoolchildren abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The protesters, drawn from the Oyo State Teachers Action Group and the Nigeria Teachers Congress (NTC), staged a peaceful demonstration, warning that the growing spate of school-related kidnappings in parts of the state had become unacceptable and posed a direct threat to the education sector.
The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, in Esiele and Yawota communities in the Ogbomoso axis of the state during a raid that has since heightened anxiety among residents, particularly parents and education stakeholders.
Carrying placards with inscriptions demanding government action, the demonstrators called for intensified security operations and improved protection for schools across the state, insisting that teachers and pupils could no longer be left vulnerable.
Speaking during the protest, the National President of the NTC, Rev. Bunmi Thomas, said the union joined the action in solidarity with victims and their families, stressing that the demonstration was lawful and driven by urgency rather than confrontation.
Thomas said while the government had reportedly commenced efforts to secure the release of the abducted victims, those efforts had yet to yield results, necessitating stronger action.
“If the government is trying and the desired result has not been achieved, then more efforts must be intensified,” he said. “We want the government to do more to rescue the teachers and pupils.”
He expressed particular concern over reports that some of the abducted victims included very young children, allegedly as young as two and three years old, describing their conditions in captivity as dangerous and inhumane.
“We have children in the bush exposed to harsh weather conditions. Nobody knows who could be next,” he added.
The union leader also urged the state government to deploy security personnel to public schools across the state, arguing that educators should not be forced to operate under fear.
“We want security attached to all government schools. We cannot continue to work while living in danger,” Thomas said.
However, he clarified that the protest was not directed at the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde, whom he described as performing well in office, but insisted that transparency and urgency were needed in rescue operations.
“No reasonable teacher is against the governor. He has performed excellently well. But we need regular updates and stronger action to secure the release of our colleagues and students,” he said.
Responding to the protesters, the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security Matters, retired Commissioner of Police Sunday Odukoya, assured that the state government was actively working to secure the victims’ release.
Odukoya said it was within the constitutional rights of citizens to protest, adding that the administration remained committed to resolving the crisis without compromising ongoing security operations.
“This incident is unfortunate, but the government is not folding its arms,” he said. “Since it happened, Governor Seyi Makinde has been on top of the situation.”
He, however, noted that operational details could not be disclosed publicly so as not to jeopardise rescue efforts already underway in affected communities.
The governor’s aide further assured that no teacher or participant in the protest would be victimised, stressing that the administration remained committed to protecting civil liberties.
Despite the assurances, the protesters maintained their demand for urgent and decisive action, warning that continued delays could worsen public fear and endanger more schools across the state.
“We are appealing to the conscience of government. The lives of these children and teachers must not be treated as statistics,” the protesters said.
