Oyo abduction: Teachers protest in Osun, demand improved security

The Osun State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo over the abduction of teachers and students in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The Osun NUT called for urgent measures to improve security in schools across the country.

The teachers marched through major streets carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Government Should Act Now”, “Free Our Teachers and Students Now” and “Our Teachers and Students Must Be Free Now”, while condemning the incident and demanding the safe return of the victims.

The demonstration drew participation from teachers across the state, who expressed concern over what they described as growing threats to educational institutions and the safety of both staff and learners.

Addressing the protesters, Osun NUT Chairman, Isaac Babalola, described the abduction as unfortunate and warned that such attacks posed a serious threat to education and the welfare of teachers and students nationwide.

He said, “Schools must remain safe environments for teaching and learning. Continued attacks on educational institutions could discourage parents from sending their children to school.”

Babalola urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted teachers and students and ensure that those responsible for the attack were brought to justice.

According to him, “The recurring cases of attacks on schools in different parts of the country require urgent and coordinated action from relevant authorities.

“The safety of teachers and students must be treated as a priority. No child should be afraid of going to school and no teacher should work under fear of abduction or violence.”

He further called on both the Federal and State Governments to strengthen security infrastructure in schools through the deployment of security personnel and the installation of surveillance facilities where necessary.

The union leader also stressed the need for stronger collaboration among security agencies, school authorities and host communities to safeguard educational institutions from future attacks.

Some of the protesting teachers expressed concern over recurring security challenges facing schools and urged governments at all levels to adopt proactive measures to prevent similar incidents.

They appealed to education stakeholders and relevant authorities to act swiftly to protect teachers and students, warning that failure to address the situation could further endanger learning environments across the country.

Responding to the demands of the protesters, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, commended the union for raising concerns over the kidnapping of teachers and students in Oriire local government area.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Muritala Jimoh, the governor said “efforts were ongoing by both the Oyo State Government and the Federal Government to secure the release of all the abducted victims”.

Adeleke assured teachers and students of their safety and disclosed that a high-level security meeting was being planned to strengthen the protection of lives, property and educational infrastructure.

He also called for the collective efforts of stakeholders across the country to ensure safer schools.