*Schools shut as teachers, CSOs protest in Oyo
*Ogun residents protest, demand urgent govt action
*NUT to embark on nationwide protest today\
By Dapo Akinrefon, Adesina Wahab, James Ogunnaike & Adeola Badru
IBADAN — Academic activities were brought to a standstill across public schools in Oyo State, yesterday, as teachers complied with a directive from the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, to embark on a peaceful protest over the abduction of teachers and students in Oriire Local Government Area.
This came on a day residents of Borno State also expressed concern over silence of the Federal Government on the abduction of 42 primary and junior secondary school students at Mussa community in Askira Uba Local Government Area of the state.
The protest in Oyo was organised to demand immediate release of 47 teachers and students recently kidnapped from both public and private schools at Ahoro Esiele Community, Oriire council area.
In compliance with the directive issued by the NUT national leadership in Abuja, public schools across the 11 local government areas of Ibadanland remained closed, with school gates locked and classrooms deserted.
Many students, who arrived at schools in areas, including Molete, Orita Challenge, New Garage and Odo Ona, were turned back and asked to return home, as teaching and learning activities were suspended.
However, it was gathered that only Senior Secondary School 3 (SS3) students sitting for their terminal examinations were granted access to school premises.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a teacher described the protest as an expression of solidarity with the abducted teachers and students, who have remained in captivity for more than two weeks.
The teacher said: “We cannot begin to imagine the pain, fear and trauma the kidnapped students and their teachers have endured over the past 18 days.
“Our appeal is to both the federal and Oyo State governments to intensify efforts and take urgent action to secure their safe and unconditional release.”
The protest also drew support from civil society organisations and concerned residents, who called for stronger security measures to protect schools and prevent further attacks on educational institutions.
Ogun residents protest, demand urgent govt’s action
As a show of solidarity, residents of Ogun State, also yesterday staged a peaceful protest against worsening insecurity across the country and the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
The protesters, comprising youths, business owners, nursing mothers and civil society advocates, gathered at the Panseke Skating ground in Abeokuta, carrying placards with inscriptions, such as ‘’The crime they committed is they went to school;’’ ‘’Release our children and teachers’’; ‘’Stop brutality, kidnapping and banditry’’; ‘’Stop insecurity, Nigeria is falling apart’’; ‘Bring back our schoolchildren’’; and ‘’end terrorism in Nigeria.’’
Addressing the protesters, Pastor Juwon Owolabi said Nigerians are living in fear amid escalating cases of kidnapping, terrorism and violent crimes.
According to him, the country has reached a critical point where no citizen, regardless of social or economic status, could confidently feels safe.
Owolabi said: “This is a painful period for parents, families and communities. Many people now sleep with anxiety and fear because they do not know who may be the next victim. We believe the government has the capacity to end this insecurity and the time to act is now.
“We stand with the parents and loved ones of those currently in captivity. Nigeria is at a tipping point. If urgent action is not taken, each of us could become a victim, whether rich or poor, a public servant or an entrepreneur. Nobody is truly safe.
“This is the time for citizens to speak out peacefully and in unity. Government must see that Nigerians are united in demanding security and protection of lives.”
The cleric urged the federal government and security agencies to deploy all necessary resources to secure the immediate release of the abducted children and teachers and restore confidence in public safety.’’
Also speaking, an entrepreneur, Mrs Ada Comfort, said the deteriorating security situation has disrupted both family life and economic activities.
Although none of her children was among the abductees, she said she had been deeply affected by the incident.
Comfort said: “My children are not among those kidnapped, yet I cannot sleep peacefully. I constantly think about those children and what their parents must be going through. The least government can do is guarantee the safety of lives and property.”
Also, a nursing mother, Mrs Precious Jonathan, who attended the protest with her child, said she joined the demonstration to demand a safer future for Nigerian children.
“My baby is just over one year old. I am here because of my child and the children yet to be born. We deserve a better Nigeria. The government should remember ordinary citizens and provide a safer country for us all,” she said.
Fighting back tears, Jonathan recalled how thoughts of the abducted children often crossed her mind.
“A few days ago, during a heavy rainfall, I rushed to close the windows and cover my baby. Suddenly, I remembered those children in captivity and wondered what they might be going through. It broke my heart,” she said.
On his part, a businessman, Mr Ayodeji Ojo, urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims and tackle the broader insecurity challenge.
Ojo said: “These children are innocent. We need more than promises and negotiations; we need action. If we continue to respond slowly, criminals will remain emboldened.
“Nobody knows who could be next. If we remain silent, any family could become a victim tomorrow.”
The protesters demanded the immediate release of the abducted pupils and teachers and urged government authorities to adopt stronger measures against kidnappers and terrorists.
They also called for enhanced security around schools and vulnerable communities, stressing that educational institutions must not become targets for criminal groups.
Security personnel were visibly deployed around the protest venue.
The protest ended peacefully, with participants reiterating their demand for urgent and decisive action to address the country’s growing insecurity crisis.
NUT goes on nationwide protest today
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, said it will embark on a nationwide solidarity protest today, as part of efforts to draw attention to the kidnapping of some teachers and students in some schools in Oyo State.
The National President of the union, Mr Audu Titus Amba, in a chat with Vanguard, explained that the union is eagerly waiting safe return of the kidnapped persons.
Amba also expressed disgust that the abducted teachers and students were being used as shields by terrorists trying to frustrate rescue efforts.
“I don’t think any Nigerian is happy with the development we are having on hand. Seven of my members are currently in captivity. Enough is enough. There is no doubt that the security situation in the country has become a matter of concern. ‘’If the school environment is not safe, how are we going to teach? How will the children learn? Education is a critical issue and our schools must be safe for teaching and learning.
“So far, it is like no tangible thing has come out of the efforts to rescue these victims of abduction. We issued a directive that teachers in Oyo State should boycott classes and go on a protest as of Monday.
‘’I am telling you that today, all teachers nationwide will also go on a solidarity protest. Government should put more measures in place for schools to be safe.
“We are also appealing to community leaders to rise to the occasion of securing our schools. They should not go to sleep when we talk about securing our school environments.
‘’Security matters and everybody should work together as a team. They should help government protect our pupils and students.”
The NUT boss, however, expressed fears about the new trend of using abducted pupils and students as cannon fodder. “We are now seriously disturbed about the ugly trend by terrorists using our pupils and students as shields. That is a very dangerous development. Innocent children must not be used as shields,” he stated.
Muslim Congress demands rescue of victims
Also reacting to the abduction, the Muslim Congress, TMC, yesterday, called for the immediate rescue of students and teachers abducted in Oyo State, urging the Federal Government and security agencies to take decisive action to stem Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
The organisation warned that the country’s escalating wave of kidnappings and violent attacks has reached a dangerous tipping point and could no longer be regarded as isolated incidents.
The TMC, in a statement by its Amir (President), Alhaji AbdulWasi’i Bangbala, described the recent attack in Oyo State as a stark reminder of the deepening security crisis confronting schools and communities across the country.
The group lamented that insecurity had become an entrenched national challenge, with millions of Nigerians increasingly living under the shadow of fear, uncertainty and recurring violence.
According to TMC, the persistent cycle of abductions, killings and attacks demands a comprehensive and strategic response from the government at all levels, rather than temporary measures that fail to address the root causes of the crisis.
The group said: “What was once considered an extraordinary occurrence has now become a disturbing routine. For many Nigerians, the news of another abduction, another killing, or another community plunged into mourning no longer arrives as a shocking headline but as a grim and expected reality.
“The government must respond with decisive and sustained action, not words alone, if this painful chapter is to end and lasting peace, safety and public confidence are to be restored.”
Borno residents slam FG’s silence over 42 abducted students
Meanwhile, following the abduction of 42 primary and junior secondary school students in Mussa community, Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, residents of the state, yesterday, expressed concern over the federal government’s silence over the kidnapping.
The residents noted that the government had prioritised a similar incident in Oyo State, where pupils and teachers were kidnapped, while downplaying the abduction in the state.
Speaking in an interview, the Chairman of the Network of Civil Society Organisations in the state, Abubakar Suleiman, said the federal government was not fair to the victims of both incidents.
Suleiman said: “The federal government visited Oyo State with a high-powered delegation, including the National Security Adviser, Minister of Defence, Chief of Staff to the President, among others, with a helicopter and landed at the local government where the abduction took place.
“In the case of Borno, around 416 people were kidnapped in Ngoshe on May 3. There has not been any federal government intervention. We also had another incident on May 16 where 42 students were kidnapped in Askira Uba.
‘’There was no federal government delegation. This doesn’t demonstrate that the federal government is treating victims equally.”
He, however, called on the government to intensify search and rescue operations for all the victims in captivity.
“Our call is for the government to intensify the search, to come and interact with parents and assure them that their children will be united with them as soon as possible. They should also provide us with updates on the issue and let us know when the children are coming back,” he added.
Echoing similar sentiments, while condemning the attacks, a political analyst in the state, Abubakar Kareto, faulted the federal government’s response to the two attacks.
Kareto said: “Both abductions of the 42 pupils from the Mussa community in Askira Uba, Borno State, taken by Boko Haram insurgents, and the Oriire in Oyo State, where 46 students and teachers were taken, are heartbreaking reminders that rural schools remain highly vulnerable soft targets and are exposing how unsafe it is to send kids to school in Nigeria.
“The attack in Oyo State also occurred on the very day of Askira Uba. While government launched a rapid, high-profile response to the Oyo incident, including a federal visit, led by the Chief of Staff and accompanied by the National Security Adviser, which also followed with a decision to immediately deploy 1,000 forest guards, the Borno abduction has mostly received standard rhetorical condemnations, with no visible energy that can be compared in any way to the Oyo State incident.”
President of Borno South Youths Alliance Forum, Samaila Kaigama, urged political leaders in the state to emulate their counterparts in the South-West, particularly in handling issues affecting the populace.
He said while other leaders across the country are making visible efforts to rescue and protect their people, the Borno State government and the political powers surrounding it appear more interested in silencing discussion of the challenges facing Southern Borno than in addressing them.
Kaigama said: “Governor Zulum, where are our 40-plus Askira Uba children? Is Governor Makinde of Oyo State doing something you ought to have done to get federal intervention?
“Over 40 students were kidnapped, and the only visible effort from those in charge was the presentation of N10 million to traditional rulers in Askira Uba.
“The people are asking: for what exactly? Is it compensation for the pain and suffering the affected families are going through?” he queried.
He noted further that the state government was proactive in deploying military force against protesters in the state.
“However, they were swift enough to deploy battalions of military personnel to a protest ground to prevent the exposure of what many perceive as their undemocratic and nonchalant attitude toward the masses.
“Let the world know and remember: no life is better than another and no zone in Nigeria is more important than another,” Kaigama said.
