Hundreds of angry residents, members of civil society groups, and civil servants took to the streets of Ibadan on Monday, mounting a fierce protest over the prolonged abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The demonstrations disrupted traffic along major routes like the Mokola Roundabout, with participants brandishing placards demanding the immediate release of the victims.
The protesters are marching through parts of the city carrying placards with inscriptions such as, “Every Life Matters, Stop the Kidnappers,” “47 Abducted, Scared and Alone,” and “Stand Up! Speak Out!”
The public outrage over the abduction of the students and teachers coincides with an indefinite strike declared by the Oyo State wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), highlighting growing panic over the safety of classrooms in the region.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the NUT has directed all public primary and secondary school teachers in Oyo State to withdraw their services from schools beginning Monday, June 1, 2026, until further notice.
According to the directive issued by the national leadership of the union, the strike is in protest against the continued captivity of abducted teachers and pupils, whose rescue and safe release, according to the Union, “remain uncertain”.
It argued that the prolonged detention of the victims has created fear and anxiety among teachers, discouraged parents from sending their children to school, and heightened tension across communities in the state.
In a release signed by the NUT chairman, Oyo state wing, Comrade Hassan Fatai, the NUT said the industrial action is “aimed at drawing the attention of government authorities to the urgent need to intensify efforts toward securing the safe release of the abductees without further delay.”
In what appears to be a measure to calm public outrage over the continued abduction of the Oyo State victims, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued a statement on Monday expressing deep sorrow over the incident.
The President insisted that children should never be subjected to the trauma of captivity. He reassured affected families that the Federal Government is deploying all lawful tools—including both kinetic and intelligence-driven operations—to guarantee the safe and unconditional return of all remaining victims.
He also confirmed that he has approved the immediate recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State and ordered a specialized, tech-driven joint rescue operation led by the Inspector-General of Police.
“Our rescue efforts will be intelligence-led, careful, coordinated, and sustained. We will deploy every lawful tool available, both kinetic and non-kinetic, to ensure our children and teachers are safely returned home,” Tinubu said in a statement posted on his X handle on Monday.
“I also extend my deepest condolences to Mrs. Mary Oyedokun, the wife of the late school teacher, and her family. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten, and their family will not be abandoned.
“No child should be taken from the safety of a classroom. No parent should have to endure this anguish,” he said.
He further assured the affected communities that ongoing efforts to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers would remain sustained, coordinated, and intelligence-driven.
Tinubu also reiterated measures already approved to strengthen security in the area, including the deployment of a specialised security unit equipped with advanced rescue capabilities.
“I have also directed the deployment of a specialised security unit with advanced rescue capabilities to intensify efforts to secure the safe return of the abducted pupils and teachers,” he said.
The President’s statement comes amid heightened concern over the May 15, 2026 abduction, which prompted the Federal Government to dispatch a high-level delegation to the affected communities in Oriire Local Government Area.
The delegation included the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Defence; and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, among other senior government and security officials.
