Teachers, CSOs Protest Over Oyo Abductions

Teachers and civil society organisations yesterday took to the streets of Ibadan to demand stronger action from the Oyo State government over the abduction of teachers and schoolchildren in Oriire local government area.

The protesters said insecurity around schools had become alarming and called on the authorities to urgently secure the release of the victims.

The demonstration was led by the Oyo State Teachers Action Group alongside the Nigeria Teachers Congress (NTC).

The victims were reportedly kidnapped on May 15, 2026, from Esiele and Yawota communities in Ogbomoso.

During the protest, the national president of the NTC, Reverend Bunmi Thomas, said the group joined the demonstration to support affected families and push for faster intervention from the government.

According to him, the protest was peaceful and aimed at drawing attention to the plight of the abducted teachers and pupils.

“We decided to stand with the teachers because their demand is legitimate. They want the government to take stronger steps towards rescuing those kidnapped,” he said.

Thomas noted that although security agencies were making efforts, more needed to be done to guarantee the safe return of the victims.

“If current efforts have not produced results, then more pressure and action are required. The government must intensify its rescue operations,” he stated.

He raised concerns over reports that very young children were among those being held captive in difficult conditions.

“Some of the children are just two or three years old. They are exposed to rain and harsh weather in the bush. This situation is painful and dangerous,” he said.

The NTC president further appealed to the government to improve security around public schools across the state to protect both teachers and pupils.

“We cannot continue teaching under fear. Security personnel should be stationed around government schools,” he added.

Thomas also stressed that the protest was not an attack on Governor Seyi Makinde, whom he praised for his administration’s achievements.

“No reasonable teacher is fighting Governor Makinde. We appreciate his work, but we also expect regular information and urgent action regarding the rescue mission,” he said.

Receiving the protesters, Governor Makinde’s Executive Assistant on Security Matters, retired Commissioner of Police Sunday Odukoya, assured them that government authorities were actively working to rescue the victims.

He described the incident as unfortunate and urged residents to remain calm while security operations continued.

“The government understands your concerns and nobody is ignoring this matter. Governor Makinde has been fully involved since the incident occurred,” Odukoya said.

He explained that some details of the operation could not be made public because of security reasons.

“I have personally visited the affected communities several times and traditional rulers there can confirm the level of engagement by the government,” he added.

Odukoya also assured the teachers that participating in the protest would not attract intimidation or punishment from the state government.

“This administration respects the rule of law. No teacher will be harassed or victimised for taking part in this protest,” he said.

The protesters, however, maintained that authorities must act with greater urgency, insisting that the victims were facing traumatic conditions in captivity.

“We are appealing to the conscience of the government. The teachers and pupils must be rescued safely and quickly,” the group stated.

Meanwhile, the abducted principal of Community Grammar School, Esinele, Mrs. Folawe Alamu, has made a fresh appeal to President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, urging them to pursue dialogue rather than force to secure the release of herself and other victims still being held by bandits.

In a video posted on Instagram on Friday by popular social media influencer, Temilola Sobola, a visibly distressed Mrs Alamu said she and other victims, including children, had spent 13 days in the bush since the attack and were exposed to harsh weather conditions.

“We are in the cold, we are under the sun, we are under the rain, The children and the adults as well. Please, we are begging you, don’t let them waste our lives,” she said.

She specifically appealed to the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to intervene, warning that any attempt to use force could endanger the lives of the captives.

“The force they used yesterday has cost us so much. It has added to our problems. In fact, someone among us has been picked, and they are going to kill him because the government tried to rescue us by force.

“We don’t need force. All they have to do is negotiate with them and secure our release. Please, just negotiate with them and dialogue with them,” she added.