Hundreds of teachers, workers, and students on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest at the Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, over the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, calling for urgent intervention to secure their release.
The demonstrators, led by the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Fatai Hassan; the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Kayode Martins; and the National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Babatunde Akinteye, marched to the Governor’s Office to express concern over the continued captivity of more than 30 pupils and teachers reportedly kidnapped from schools in the Ahoro-Ile and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government.
Addressing Governor Seyi Makinde during the protest, Comrade Fatai Hassan described the abduction as a tragic development that has plunged the affected communities into fear and uncertainty. He maintained that teachers across the state would not return to classrooms until the abducted pupils and their colleagues are safely released.
In separate remarks, Comrade Kayode Martins and Comrade Babatunde Akinteye condemned the incident, describing it as shocking and unacceptable.
They noted that Oyo State has long enjoyed a reputation as one of Nigeria’s most peaceful states and urged the Federal Government, Oyo State Government, and security agencies to intensify efforts toward the safe rescue of the victims.
Responding to the protesters, Governor Seyi Makinde assured them that the state government, working closely with security agencies and relevant stakeholders, is deploying every available resource to secure the release of the abducted pupils and teachers.
The governor also called on Nigerians to remain united in confronting insecurity, cautioning against attempts to politicize the unfortunate incident. According to him, the collective priority should be the safe return of the victims and the implementation of measures to prevent a recurrence.
The protest came barely 48 hours after a high-powered Federal Government delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, visited the affected communities in Oriire Local Government Area to assess the situation and reassure residents of ongoing rescue efforts.
As of the time of filing this report, public primary and secondary schools across Oyo State remained shut, while demonstrations and rescue operations continued.
