Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Pierre Antoine
Teachers and civil society organisations (CSOs) on Friday, May 29, 2026, staged a peaceful protest in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, demanding urgent government intervention to secure the release of teachers and schoolchildren abducted during coordinated attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of the state. The demonstrators warned that the continued captivity of the victims had heightened fears over the safety of pupils, teachers and educational institutions across Oyo State.
The protest was organised by the Oyo State Teachers Action Group with support from the Nigeria Teachers’ Congress (NTC) and other civil society organisations. Protesters marched through parts of Ibadan carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs while calling on security agencies and government authorities to intensify efforts to rescue the victims. The demonstration remained peaceful as security personnel monitored the procession.
The victims were abducted on Thursday, May 15, 2026, when heavily armed gunmen riding on motorcycles launched coordinated attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esiele; and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, all located within Oriire Local Government Area near Ogbomoso. During the attacks, several teachers, pupils and school staff members were taken away by the assailants.
According to reports from security authorities and community leaders, at least seven teachers and 39 students were abducted during the invasion. Among those reportedly kidnapped was Mrs. Alamu Folawe, the Vice Principal of one of the affected schools. The attack also resulted in fatalities, including a school official and a commercial motorcyclist caught in the violence.
Addressing protesters in Ibadan on May 29, 2026, the National President of the Nigeria Teachers’ Congress, Reverend Bunmi Thomas, said the organisation joined the demonstration in solidarity with the victims and their families. He stated that the protest was lawful and intended to draw urgent attention to what he described as a worsening security crisis affecting schools and communities.
“When we heard about the proposed protest by the Oyo State Teachers Action Group, we were satisfied and decided to join them because what they are doing is lawful. They are demanding pragmatic action from the government to secure the release of the abducted teachers and students,” Thomas said. He added that while authorities had reportedly taken steps to address the situation, the efforts had not yet produced the desired outcome and therefore needed to be intensified.
Thomas expressed particular concern about the condition of the children being held in captivity, noting that some of the victims were extremely young. “We have children as young as two and three years old in the bush. They are exposed to rain and harsh weather conditions. These victims are in danger, and nobody knows who could be next,” he said. Among the abducted children is two-year-old Christianah Akanbi, a pupil of Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.
The protesters also called on the Oyo State Government to deploy security personnel to public schools across the state. According to the teachers, educators should not be forced to work under constant fear of attacks and kidnappings. They argued that stronger security measures around schools had become necessary following the repeated targeting of educational institutions by criminal groups.
Responding to the protest on behalf of the state government, Compol Sunday Odukoya (Rtd.), Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security Matters, assured demonstrators that efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the victims. Speaking in Ibadan on May 29, 2026, Odukoya said the government had not abandoned the victims and that rescue operations were actively being pursued by security agencies.
“It is your constitutional right to protest and let the government know your concerns. This incident is unfortunate, but I want to assure you that the government is not folding its arms over the matter,” Odukoya told the protesters. He explained that certain operational details could not be disclosed publicly in order not to jeopardise ongoing rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has announced plans for a wider solidarity protest scheduled for Monday, June 1, 2026, in Ibadan. NANS President Akinteye Babatunde said students across the country would mobilise to demand urgent action and stronger security measures following the continued captivity of the victims more than two weeks after the abduction.
The incident has renewed concerns about growing insecurity around schools in Nigeria and the vulnerability of pupils and teachers to kidnapping attacks. Rights groups, education advocates and community leaders have continued to call on federal and state authorities to strengthen school protection measures and ensure the safe return of all those still being held by their abductors.
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