Teachers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers on Tuesday held a solidarity protest to demand the rescue of teachers and pupils abducted in schools in Oriire local government area of Oyo State.
The protesters, led by the Osun NUT chairman, Babatunde Babalola, had taken off from the Ataoja School of Science, Osogbo, and moved through the Osogbo/Gbongan road before terminating the protest at the Osun Government Secretariat, Abere, where the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Muritala Jimoh, addressed them.
The PUNCH reports that on May 15, 2026, armed men attacked three schools-Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire LGA, taking pupils and teachers captive.
The abduction had since generated outcries across the country.
Armed with placards with inscriptions such as ‘Stop killing custodians of knowledge’, ‘From Chibok to Oriire, our children are still crying’, ‘Set our teachers, pupils & students free from captivity’, the protesters appealed to the government to find solutions to the security challenges ravaging the country.
“We are out today in solidarity with our colleagues and students who were abducted in Oriire Local Government, Oyo State.
We sympathised with the families of those who were killed among the abducted victims.
“We are calling on the governments to ensure the safe return of those who are still in captivity.
“We are also appealing to the federal government to look into the security issues and find a lasting solution to the problem. Without adequate security in our schools, the learning environment would not be conducive,” Babalola said.
Receiving the protesters on behalf of the state government, the PS, Ministry of Education, Jimoh, said the government will spare no effort to protect schools in the state.
Jimoh, however, charged the teachers to be security-conscious and alert relevant agencies to suspicious movements around their schools.
He further said, “The state government is doing everything possible towards the security of our teachers and students.
But I want to urge us to be security-conscious wherever we go. The government is always on alert.
“Our security outfits are on alert. If you hear anything, quickly alert security agencies. We are doing our best to keep Osun schools secure. We need to cooperate.”
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