Teachers protest against school kidnappings

Teachers protested on Tuesday in many states over attacks on schools and the kidnapping of students and teachers. They are calling for quick action to protect schools across the country.

The protests were organized by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT). They took place in Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Sokoto, Anambra, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, the Federal Capital Territory, and other areas.

These protests started after over 80 students and teachers were kidnapped in Borno and Oyo states in May.

On May 14, suspected Boko Haram members attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State. They abducted more than 40 children, including toddlers. Reports say the attackers used the children as human shields while escaping.

On the same day, gunmen attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School in Ahoro-Esiele, Oyo State. They kidnapped pupils and teachers. Two teachers were later killed by their captors.

These incidents are part of a long series of attacks on schools since the 2014 kidnapping of more than 270 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State.

Despite the federal government’s Safe Schools Initiative, educational institutions remain vulnerable to attacks by terrorists and kidnappers.

During the protest in Abuja, NUT National President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, called for the immediate and unconditional release of all kidnapped teachers and students. He warned that ongoing attacks threaten the future of education and national development.

“An attack on teachers is an attack on education, and an attack on education is an attack on the future of Nigeria,” he said.

Amba pointed out that the victims have been in captivity for more than two weeks. He mentioned the killing of two teachers in Oyo as a sign of how urgent it is to secure the release of those still held.

He also criticized the Safe Schools Initiative, launched after the Chibok abduction. He said it has not done enough to protect schools. He noted that attacks still happen in many states despite the measures introduced in the program.

The union asked the federal government to review the initiative, fix its shortcomings, and strengthen security around schools. They also called on Nigerians to support efforts to make schools safer for teachers and students.

NUT members in Borno State protested at the Government House and the streets, demanding the release of the many pupils and students kidnapped from Mussa Primary and Secondary School in Askira Uba.

“Children deserve protection. We want the government to do more to rescue these children, teachers, and colleagues in Borno and other states,” said NUT National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Tom.

The union’s treasurer in Borno, Mustapha Usman, said the government is not fair to the victims of abduction.

In Kano State, Sunusi Dayyabu, NUT deputy chairman, called for stronger government action to secure schools. He emphasized that teachers should be able to work without fear of intruders.

“Our schools should be secure so that our teachers can go and work freely without any fear,” he added.

Teachers in Kwara State stated that no school in Nigeria is safe amid rising insecurity.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the NUT in Kwara State, Mike Modesty, said the Oyo abduction is part of a worrying pattern of attacks on schools.

“A similar incident happened in Borno. Just last week, a teacher was kidnapped in Zamfara and was killed even after ransom was paid. How do we continue like this? The solution now is for the government to take action,” he said.

Regarding whether the union might shut down schools nationwide to push for stronger government action, he said that could happen if the situation keeps getting worse.

In Taraba State, NUT Chairman, Nathan Solomon, expressed sadness over the ongoing attacks on schools, especially the recent kidnapping in Oyo State.

“Schools are meant to be places of learning and character building, not fear and insecurity. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of the kidnapped students and their teachers,” he said.

The Commissioner for Vocational and Secondary Education, Dr Augustina Godwin, called the abduction of students and teachers in Oyo and Borno an attack on education and the future of Nigerian children.

Meanwhile, in Oyo State, families of pupils and teachers kidnapped by bandits turned down rice and cash offered by government officials. They insisted their priority was the safe return of their loved ones.

During an interview with News Central on Monday, the Baale of Yawota in Oriire LGA, Emmanuel Alade, said government representatives who visited the affected communities to console residents were refused when they offered relief materials and money.

“The women who are government officials on Governor Seyi Makinde’s team came to console us. They brought rice and money, but the parents said they did not want it. They said what they wanted was for their children to be released,” he said.

At a protest outside the Oyo State Governor’s Office, NUT Chairman in Oyo State, Hassan Fatai, said teachers will keep staying away from classrooms until the kidnapped victims are released.

“Teachers are now living in fear. We can no longer go to classes. We demand better security so that our students and teachers are no longer at risk,” he said.

While addressing the protesters, Governor Seyi Makinde said this situation requires unity instead of blame or political fighting.

“This is a time of national distress, not a time to trade blame or play politics. It is time for all Nigerians to unite and confront the criminals,” he said.

The protests for the rescue of the 46 pupils and teachers recently kidnapped in Oyo State became dramatic in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Tuesday. Protesters resisted attempts to stop them from marching into the state secretariat at Oke-Mosan, in the state capital.

Daily Trust reports that members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and other residents joined in the nationwide protest. They expressed their anger over the situation. There was a confrontation when the protesters reached one of the gates leading to the state’s seat of power.

The gates were locked by security operatives to block the protesters from entering the state secretariat and the governor’s office.

During the struggle, the protesters pushed the gate to force it open while security agents resisted.

However, the protesters managed to overpower the security agents and pushed their way into the state secretariat, singing solidarity songs.

Speaking during the protest, the National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, Yinka Folarin, urged security agencies to work harder and value human life more.

The National President of NUT, Titus Amba, represented by Titilope Adebanjo, the National Vice President, said teachers now live in fear. He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to treat this issue as urgent and secure the release of the victims.

The Ogun State NLC chairman, Hameed Benco, expressed his frustration, saying the protest serves as a warning to the government. He warned that drastic actions will come if nothing is done.

In Lagos, NUT members protested at the Lagos State House of Assembly, asking for the release of the kidnapped children and others held by kidnappers.

They gave the federal government a one-week ultimatum to act decisively against insecurity.

Lagos State NUT Chairman, Akintoye Mujeeb, said teachers can no longer stay silent amid rising insecurity.

“Enough is enough. How many people will these bandits continue to kill? They have been killing us, and now we are saying enough is enough,” he said.

In response to the protesters, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, assured them that their message would be taken to the right authorities.

The NUT Chairman in Bayelsa State, Richman Otobo, said “teachers are not slaves” and their lives should not be “put at risk.”

He expressed concern over reports that some victims were being mistreated and asked for intervention.

Also speaking, Comrade Akada Emomotimi, Chairman of NUT Sagbama LGA branch, broke down in tears, saying “Every day we are crying. They should release these children for us. They should release our teachers. Without teachers, there is no nation.”

NUT members in Anambra urged both the federal and state governments to take quick and strong action instead of making empty promises. They insisted that classrooms must not turn into battlefields or hideouts for kidnappers.

Chairman of NUT, Chika Chukwudozie, said “For over two weeks now, the innocent teachers and learners are still in captivity under terrible conditions, leaving their families in fear and pain.”