Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Hundreds of teachers drawn from all 25 local government areas of Delta State marched peacefully from the Teachers’ House on DLA Road, Asaba, to the Government House on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, in compliance with a nationwide directive from the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT). The protest, which began around 9:00 a.m., was part of a coordinated national action to demand the immediate and unconditional release of teachers and schoolchildren abducted in Oyo State and other parts of the country. The rally was led by the Delta State NUT chairman and secretary, Comrades Poubeni Dickson and Dan Basime, who carried placards and led solidarity songs through the streets of the state capital.
The protest was triggered by the 15 May 2026 coordinated terrorist attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where about 12 armed men on motorcycles, dressed in military camouflage, stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Ahoro‑Esinele; and L.A. Primary School, Esiele. The assailants killed an assistant headmaster, Mr. Joel Adesiyan, and a commercial motorcyclist, before abducting 39 pupils and seven teachers. A mathematics teacher, Mr. Michael Oyedokun, was later beheaded in a viral video. Community leaders also identified a two‑year‑old toddler, Christianah Akanbi, among the captives. The victims remain in captivity as of 3 June 2026, and the federal government’s deployment of 1,000 forest guards and a specialised rescue unit has yet to yield a breakthrough.
Addressing the protesters at the Government House, the Secretary to the Delta State Government, Dr. Kingsley Emu, who received the teachers on behalf of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, acknowledged the pain and concerns expressed by the educators. He commended the teachers for conducting themselves peacefully despite the gravity of the issues raised. “Insecurity is not a friend to anybody,” Emu said, noting that its consequences extend beyond direct victims to their families and the wider society. He referenced the emotional appeal by the husband of an abducted school principal in Oyo State, describing it as a stark reminder of the devastating human impact of insecurity. He assured the teachers that the state government remained committed to safeguarding lives and property and would continue to collaborate with security agencies to secure the release of abducted victims and strengthen safety measures across the state.
In his address, NUT Delta State Chairman Comrade Dickson Poubeni expressed deep concern over the killing of some education workers and the continued detention of others, including schoolchildren. “Today, we mourn the painful loss of colleagues who have been brutally murdered in cold blood. We also hear the desperate cries of a school principal and a teacher who have passionately appealed to the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, the NUT, ANCOPSS, and all well‑meaning Nigerians to urgently intervene and secure the release of those held captive through constructive engagement with their abductors,” Poubeni said. He added that the prolonged captivity of the victims without any clear indication of their imminent rescue had compelled teachers nationwide to sustain their advocacy until every abducted teacher and learner regains freedom.
The teachers reminded the government that insecurity is no longer confined to northern Nigeria. They cited recent incidents in Oyo, Kwara and Delta states, pointing to attacks on schools in Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area, and Sapele in Delta State as evidence of a growing national crisis. They recalled the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State in 2014 and noted that similar attacks have continued in Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger and Yobe states, disrupting academic activities and creating fear among teachers and students.
The union criticised existing government measures, including the recruitment of forest guards in some states, arguing that such interventions are insufficient to tackle the scale of insecurity confronting schools. They called for enhanced security around educational institutions, improved intelligence gathering, community‑based protection mechanisms and stronger coordination among security agencies. The teachers warned that continued failure to secure the release of abducted colleagues and students could trigger further industrial action, including a possible nationwide shutdown of schools. They maintained that the safety of teachers and learners must be treated as a national priority, stressing that no teacher should be forced to risk their life in the course of educating children.
The Delta protest was part of a wave of nationwide actions on 2 June 2026. In Abuja, NUT members picketed the Federal Capital Territory Administration secretariat. In Borno, teachers protested the abduction of 48 pupils in Mussa, Askira‑Uba Local Government Area. In Oyo, an indefinite strike had already shut down public primary and secondary schools. In Akwa Ibom, teachers joined the solidarity rallies, while in Lagos, hundreds marched from Ikeja to the State House of Assembly. The nationwide action underlined the depth of teachers’ frustration and their determination to force the government to treat the abduction of educators and learners as a national security emergency.
As the sun set over Asaba on 2 June, the hundreds of teachers who had marched from DLA Road to Government House returned home. They had made their voices heard, but the 46 abducted pupils and teachers of Oriire LGA, the 42 students taken in Mussa, and the scores of other kidnapped victims across the country remained in captivity. The teachers’ warning of a nationwide shutdown if no action is taken now hangs over the education sector like a dark cloud. For the families of the abducted, the solidarity of the teachers brings comfort, but what they desperately need is rescue.
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