Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo State Wing, has set conditions for the reopening of closed schools.
The NUT secretary, Olukayode Salami, who spoke with with reporters in Ibadan yesterday, gave the conditions that must be met before the union suspend the strike.
These, he said, included the safe rescue of all kidnapped teachers and students, as well as the implementation of concrete security measures to prevent future attacks on schools.
“The condition we attached was for the government to intensify efforts and ensure the safe rescue of these people.
“Second, the government must put measures in place that can guard against such occurrences,” he said.
He declared that public schools across the state would remain shut until the government implements effective security measures to protect teachers and students.
The union maintained that the closure, triggered by the abduction of more than 40 teachers and students in Oriire Local Government Area on 15 May, would continue until authorities demonstrate a clear commitment to improving safety in schools and surrounding communities.
The union’s secretary, Olukayode Salami, said teachers could not be expected to return to classrooms under prevailing security conditions.
According to him, the security crisis has been worsened by the killing of two teachers and the continued captivity of several abducted victims, creating fear, uncertainty and emotional distress among educators, learners and parents.
Salami noted that the union initially refrained from embarking on an immediate strike after the abduction, but later withdrew teachers from schools when it became evident that the security situation had not improved.
He explained that the psychological impact of the attacks had made it difficult for teachers to perform their duties effectively. At the same time, some parents had already begun withdrawing their children from schools due to concerns about their safety.
“As much as we have casualties among learners in terms of abduction, we have higher casualties among teachers because two of them were killed,” Salami said.
He added that the prolonged detention of those abducted had heightened anxiety within communities and reinforced the union’s decision to keep schools closed.
Salami stressed that the union’s position was not irreversible, noting that schools could reopen once meaningful security interventions are introduced and confidence is restored among stakeholders.
“No condition is permanent, and no decision is permanent. Once meaningful measures are put in place, there will be a need to review the position and see how we can collectively move forward,” he said.
He also condemned attacks on educational institutions, arguing that schools should never become targets of criminal activity or of grievances against the government.
“If anybody has a grievance against the government, such persons should address it with the government and not resort to attacking schools and innocent people who are not responsible for any offence,” he said.
