Teachers and civil society groups on Friday staged a peaceful protest in Ibadan, demanding urgent government action to rescue teachers and pupils abd¥cted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The protesters, led by the Oyo State Teachers Action Group and the Nigeria Teachers Congress (NTC), warned that the safety of teachers and schoolchildren could no longer be ignored.
The victims were kidnapped on May 15, 2026, in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Ogbomoso.
Speaking during the protest, NTC President, Reverend Bunmi Thomas, said the demonstration was aimed at pushing the government to intensify rescue efforts.
“They are demanding pragmatic action from the government to secure the release of the abd¥cted teachers and students,” he said.
Thomas acknowledged ongoing rescue efforts but insisted more needed to be done.
“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 d@nger, and nobody knows who could be next,” he lamented.
He also called for security personnel to be deployed to public schools across the state, saying teachers should not work under fear.
“We cannot continue to work while living in d@nger,” he added.
Despite the protest, Thomas stressed that teachers were not against Governor Seyi Makinde, whom he praised for his performance in office.
“No reasonable teacher in Oyo State is against Governor Seyi Makinde because he has performed excellently well. However, we need regular updates on efforts being made to rescue our teachers and students,” he said.
Responding on behalf of the government, Governor Makinde’s Executive Assistant on Security Matters, retired CP Sunday Odukoya, assured protesters that efforts were ongoing to secure the victims’ release.
“This incident is unfortunate, but I want to assure you that the government is not folding its arms over the matter,” he said.
Odukoya added that some operational details could not be made public to avoid jeopardising rescue efforts.
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