Oyo Teachers Meet Governor Over Kidnapping Crisis

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State met with Governor Seyi Makinde on Tuesday in Ibadan. They discussed their demands related to the ongoing strike. The strike is in response to the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.

The union's meeting with the governor focused on two main issues. They want the safe return of the victims and better security in schools across the state.

They also mentioned that they will talk to their national leadership before deciding on the next steps in their indefinite strike, which started on June 1. This strike aims to push for the urgent rescue of 39 students and seven teachers kidnapped by armed men from three schools on May 15 in Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota.

Oyo NUT Secretary Salami Olukayode spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on the phone. He said the union informed the governor about their worries. They plan to update their national body, which ordered the strike and nationwide protests supported by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and civil society groups.

“The governor received us today to engage us, but the next line of action now is for us to refer the matter back to the national body,” Olukayode said. “It was the national body that directed the withdrawal of services in Oyo State and the nationwide protest in solidarity for the rescue of the victims.”

Mr Olukayode emphasized that the main priority is the safe return of those kidnapped. He also wants stronger security in schools to prevent future attacks. He mentioned the psychological effects of the abduction, which have left teachers, families, and communities traumatized. The union is calling for real security measures to protect schools in the state.

“We are requesting them to work with all necessary authorities down to the local government level to secure the release of these victims. Because for them to continue to be in captivity, the agony in the land continues to mount,” Mr Olukayode said.

As efforts to secure the victims' release continue, teachers are worried about the long-term safety of schools in the state. Akande Rukayat, a teacher at Muslim Grammar School, Odinjo in Ibadan, expressed heightened safety concerns.

“The incident affected us because they are our colleagues, and those children are small children. Anybody with blood running in their body would sympathise with those teachers and pupils,” she said.

She noted that while some schools have tightened security, many teachers still feel unsafe returning to classrooms without visible improvements in security. “In my school now, before anybody enters, we record the person’s name and purpose. We now monitor movements more carefully,” she said. “But what about a stronger security presence across schools in the state? Because these people are armed with guns.”

Christina John, a parent from a school in Ogbomosho, supports efforts to free the victims. But she worries about the ongoing disruption of school activities. She feels the incident has made parents hesitant to send their children to school, especially in rural areas.

“We want our children back in school but we are worried about sending our children to school and spending every day worrying whether they will return home. We need help on security,” she said.

The abduction in Oriire LGA is the latest in a series of kidnappings in Nigeria over the last decade. Since the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ kidnapping, many students and teachers have been taken in separate incidents across states like Kaduna, Kwara, Niger, Zamfara, Katsina, and Kebbi.