Protesters Block Iwo Road Interchange Over Rising Insecurity In Ibadan

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…Ibadan Bishops Worry Over Welfare Of Abducted Victims

IBADAN – Protesters blocked the busy Iwo Road interchange on Monday, bringing major parts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to a stand­still in a demonstration against rising insecurity and a wave of kidnappings.

The protest, which be­gan about 10a.m., was or­ganised by the Take It Back Movement, a human rights advocacy group.

The demonstrators occupied the strategic junction, disrupting traf­fic along one of the city’s busiest transport routes.

The protesters called on the government to take ur­gent steps to tackle insecu­rity and secure the release of 39 abducted schoolchil­dren and teachers in Oyo State.

Public outrage has con­tinued to mount over the abduction, which occurred in Oriire Local Govern­ment Area in May and re­mains unresolved.

Speaking during the protest, the National Coor­dinator of the movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, said the demonstration was part of a sustained campaign launched after the kidnap­ping of the pupils and their teachers.

According to him, the group would continue its actions until all victims regain their freedom.

“We will continue to protest for the release of all abducted victims until they are free. Government officials remain in the comfort of their offices while innocent students and their teachers are lan­guishing in kidnappers’ dens,” he said.

The protesters, who carried placards and ban­ners demanding an end to kidnappings, accused au­thorities of failing to take decisive action to rescue those still in captivity.

Sanyaolu further stressed that the cam­paign was not limited to Oyo State, noting that the group was demanding the release of all abducted per­sons across the country.

“We are demanding freedom for all captives in the North, South, East and West of Nigeria,” he added.

He also criticised Nige­ria’s political leadership, accusing politicians of focusing on the 2027 elec­tions while security chal­lenges continue to threaten lives.

“We will not wait until 2027. By then, we do not know how many people will still be alive. That is why we are here in Ibadan, where the abduction oc­curred. Both the state and federal governments must act or continue to face mass protests,” he said.

The protest caused se­vere traffic congestion around the Iwo Road axis, leaving many commuters stranded for hours as secu­rity operatives monitored the situation.

Ibadan Bishops Worry Over Welfare Of Abducted Victims

Meanwhile, the Catho­lic bishops of Ibadan ec­clesiastical province have expressed worries over the living conditions of the Oriire abductees, five weeks after the abduction.

The bishops, in a state­ment released in Ibadan on Monday by the president, Gabriel Abegunrin, and the secretary, Anselm La­wani, demanded their im­mediate and unconditional release.

They declared that the abductees had lived long enough under the harsh­est conditions, without shelter, for the government to act.

The ecclesiastical prov­ince comprises the Ibadan Archdiocese and the Ondo, Ilorin, Oyo, Ekiti, and Osogbo dioceses.

Gunmen invaded three public schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, leaving an assistant head teacher and a commercial motorcyclist dead.

They worried that the abductees had no good nu­trition, were completely exposed to the elements in the forest, and were in the hands of the most vicious and merciless criminals.

The bishops described the murder of a teacher, a motorcycle rider and the beheading of another teacher in the forest as a barbaric assassination of culture and erasure of de­cency.

“This should have abso­lutely no place in Nigeria and particularly among the Yoruba people.

“The incident violated the sanity and innocence of the Nigerian South- West, which is well-known for its passion for educa­tion,” the bishops said.

They also said that the abduction and the killings had turned the simple life of the Esiele community into a long and sorrowful nightmare.

While noting the bar­rage of reassurances, speeches and visits by the federal and state govern­ments, they said that the nation’s security could still be improved.

“Despite all these, Nige­rians seem no further than where they were ten years ago with security of lives and property,” they stated.

They highlighted the scale of insecurity and how violent kidnapping in farmlands and villages appears to be normal news.

They also expressed con­cern that policemen and soldiers were attacked and murdered.

The bishops said they could no longer keep quiet over the excruciating wait, the painful lament, and the unspeakable suffering in­flicted on families of the 46 abductees.

“We condemn this gross assault on the sanctity of human life and social or­der and are outraged by the seeming inability of our governments to prevent its frequent occurrence,” they said.

Drawing parallels with Chibok, the bishops plead­ed with the Oyo State gov­ernment that the Esiele ab­ductees should not suffer the same fate.

“Gov. Makinde should act now lest the present debacle dim the glory of his past exploits.

“We also appeal to the Federal Government and National Assembly to fast-track the processes of ap­proving state police, and put policy and legislation in place to prevent its mis­application,” the bishops said.

The ecclesiastical prov­ince called for decisive policing of forests, an en­hanced intelligence gather­ing, equipping grassroots communities to defend themselves, and the adop­tion of technology to en­hance security.

They condemned the ongoing reintegration of “so-called ‘repentant ban­dits’ into security agencies and society, while treating victims of crime and their relatives with neglect or outright disdain.

According to them, it rubs dirt on the face of jus­tice and is a strand of the corruption that has bedev­illed the social contract.

The bishops demanded that bandits and kidnap­pers be made to face the full force of the law firm­ly and swiftly, lest others be encouraged to take up arms against the state.

They urged Nigerians to be law-abiding, vigi­lant, and to always pray for the victims and securi­ty agents.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us, and no innocent soul should be made to suffer violence, oppression or marginalisation while the government at any level looks on as if helpless and overwhelmed,” the bishops said.