Osun Teachers Stage Protest Over Abduction of Colleagues, Pupils in Oyo Schools

Teachers under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on Tuesday staged a solidarity protest calling for the rescue of teachers and pupils abducted in schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The protest, led by Osun NUT chairman Babatunde Babalola, began at Ataoja School of Science in Osogbo and proceeded through the Osogbo/Gbongan Road before ending at the Osun State Government Secretariat in Abere.

At the secretariat, the protesters were received by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Muritala Jimoh, who addressed their concerns on behalf of the state government.

Carrying placards with messages such as “Stop killing custodians of knowledge,” “From Chibok to Oriire, our children are still crying,” and “Set our teachers, pupils & students free from captivity,” the demonstrators called for urgent action to address insecurity in schools.

Babalola said the union was protesting in solidarity with colleagues and students abducted in Oriire, while also sympathising with families of those killed among the victims and urging government to ensure the safe return of those still in captivity.

Responding, Jimoh assured that the government would continue to prioritise the safety of teachers and students, while urging school authorities to remain security-conscious and promptly report suspicious activities to relevant agencies, adding that security outfits are on alert and efforts are ongoing to make schools safer.


Elijah Adeyemi