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.
