The National Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State on Friday staged a peaceful protest in Ibadan over the abduction of students and teachers in Orire Local Government Area, demanding urgent action from authorities to secure their release.
The protest followed the kidnapping of more than 40 students and teachers during an attack on schools in Esiele community, Oriire LGA, on May 15, an incident that has heightened insecurity concerns across the state.
Reports indicate that the abductors have circulated disturbing footage showing the victims in captivity and allegedly being subjected to harsh treatment in a forest location, intensifying public anxiety and calls for swift rescue efforts.
Teachers drawn from primary and secondary schools across the state converged at Iwo Road, Ibadan, where they marched peacefully, chanting solidarity songs and calling for immediate government intervention.
“We are here to cry out for help. Our children and colleagues are in captivity, and we cannot continue in silence while their lives are in danger,” one protesting teacher said.
The demonstrators repeatedly chanted slogans such as “Bring back our children” and “No more bandits,” while urging both state and federal authorities to intensify rescue operations.
They said the incident had caused deep psychological trauma for teachers, parents and pupils, and warned that education in the affected communities had been severely disrupted.
The NUT called on security agencies to “leave no stone unturned” in securing the safe return of the abducted victims, stressing that school safety must be urgently strengthened to restore confidence in the education system.
