Oyo abduction: Kwara teachers protest, say no school safe

The Nigerian Union of Teachers, Kwara State Wing, on Tuesday joined the nationwide solidarity rally organised by the National union to protest the abduction and continued captivity of teachers and students kidnapped from schools in Oyo State, declaring that no school in Nigeria can be considered safe amid rising insecurity across the country.

The rally, which took place in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, was held in solidarity with the victims of the May 15, 2026 attack in Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where armed men invaded three schools and abducted 46 persons, including 39 students and seven teachers.

The incident drew national outrage after a video surfaced showing the beheading of a mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, while another teacher was reportedly killed during the initial attack.

During the solidarity rally, members of the union marched through parts of Ilorin carrying placards with various inscriptions expressing concern over the rising attacks on educational institutions and support for the abducted teachers and students.

Some of the placards read, “From Chibok to Oriire: Our children are still crying,” “We say no to attacks on schools,” “A nation that cannot protect its schools has no future,” and “Stop the killing and maiming of teachers in Nigeria.”

The demonstrators said the messages were intended to draw attention to the plight of victims of school attacks and to demand urgent action from the government to safeguard schools across the country.

Speaking with The PUNCH, the Deputy Secretary-General of the NUT in Kwara State, Mike Modesty, lamented the worsening state of insecurity in the country and accused the government of failing to adequately protect schools, teachers and students.

He said, “They have been abducted since May 15. One teacher has been killed and the remaining ones are still in captivity. And we are hearing that the bandits want to negotiate. Negotiate what? The lives of our children and the teachers?” Modesty said.

He cited similar incidents across the country, noting that the Oyo abduction was part of a growing pattern of attacks on educational institutions.

“A similar incident happened in Borno. Only last week, a teacher was kidnapped in Zamfara and was eventually killed even after ransom was paid. How do we continue like this? There are no safe schools. And you know the slogan of Boko Haram is that Western education is forbidden. With all that they are doing now, whether they call themselves bandits, Boko Haram or any other name, they have one mission; to make sure people no longer go to school,” he stated.

“The solution right now is that government must rise up to the occasion. I wouldn’t say only government; individuals and every citizen must be ready. In Oyo State, we heard that while the attackers were moving into the school, some of them were speaking Yoruba and telling victims to enter. It is the rat inside the house that invites those outside to come in.”

He added, “We were also told that even two wives of a traditional ruler were kidnapped. Is that not a sacrilege? Religious leaders are being kidnapped. This menace does not know blood relation, tribe or ethnicity. Nobody is really safe.”

Modesty expressed concern over frequent attacks on travellers and communities, saying the growing influence of armed groups had restricted the freedom of movement of ordinary citizens.

“People travelling on highways are being dragged into forests after vehicles are stopped. One can no longer move freely. These criminal groups have littered every corner of the federation carrying out nefarious activities. We must be truthful to ourselves; government has not done enough.

According to him, the Federal Government should seek international assistance from countries with proven expertise in tackling terrorism and kidnapping if local efforts are proving insufficient.

“There are countries in this world that specialise in handling issues of this nature. Government should source help from those countries. If you know you are becoming overwhelmed, invite them to support you so that peace can return to the country,” he said.

“Even with what is happening everywhere, the average politician is going about politics. They don’t seem to care much about insecurity because their families are not affected. Until they consider the lives of ordinary Nigerians, they too will not know peace,” he said.

Modesty linked the rising wave of criminality to worsening economic hardship, noting that hunger and poverty were fuelling various forms of crime across the country.

“People can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed. Houses and shops are being burgled because people are hungry. We are begging the government to rise up to its responsibility. If it lacks the capacity to tackle the problem alone, there are countries that can help.”

On whether the union might consider shutting down schools nationwide to compel stronger government action, he suggested that such a move remained a possibility if the situation continued to deteriorate.

“That may be the next action that the national union may take because this is just the tip of the iceberg. Even schools that have not come under attack are affected because teachers are afraid to go there. Parents and students are also afraid.”

The anger and fear are everywhere. Some parents are already discouraging their children from attending school. Imagine sending your child to school and not being sure the child will return home safely.”

He further highlighted the psychological trauma being endured by families of the abducted victims, stressing that many of the children may require extensive rehabilitation if eventually rescued.

“In Oyo, someone has four children in captivity. Another person has a daughter-in-law and a baby in captivity. Considering the way those children have been treated, it will be difficult for them to willingly return to school without serious rehabilitation. It is that bad.”

Addressing claims by some traditional rulers and individuals that they possess solutions to the insecurity challenge, Modesty urged them to work with authorities to tackle the menace.

“Anybody who claims to have a solution should come forward. The traditionalists should also come forward if they can help. Government should support anyone with a genuine solution.”

He, however, cautioned that merely recruiting forest guards would not be enough without providing them with adequate training, intelligence and equipment.

“It is not even a matter of recruiting five million forest guards. If they are armed with weapons that cannot match those of the terrorists and they do not understand the terrain as much as the assailants do, then it is a waste of time.”

“These terrorists are highly sophisticated. They even planted explosive devices that killed a soldier. If those recruited cannot match their capacity, the problem will remain unresolved,” he said.