VIDEO: Bayelsa schoolchildren protest against kidnappings

Students of Government Secondary School Aleibiri in Ekeremor LGA of Bayelsa State are protesting against school abductions. Photo: Facebook| Gberenemi Ozu

The Nigeria Union of Teachers has called for protests across the country due to school abductions in Oyo State. On Tuesday, schools in Bayelsa State joined in the protest.

Videos on social media show schoolchildren and teachers in Bayelsa State marching and singing songs. They are demanding the immediate rescue of students and teachers held by terrorists.

In Sagbama Local Government Area, a video shared on Facebook by Golden Agagowei shows pupils from Community Primary School, Isoni. They are out of their classrooms, lined up in their blue uniforms.

The children are seen chanting, “Federal Government, release our students! Federal Government, release our teachers!”

Pupils of Community Primary School Isoni in Sagbama LGA of Bayelsa State protest school abductions. Photo: Facebook: Golden Agagowei

In the video, Alex Egbagara, the protest leader, appeals to the presidency. He says, “We join the nationwide protest for the release of our kidnapped teachers and students in Oyo. Please, Federal Government, look into the matter and the cries of the Isoni community students.”

A similar protest happened in Ekeremor Local Government Area. Staff and students of Government Secondary School, Aleibiri, also marched.

In a video posted on Facebook by Gberenemi Ozu, secondary school students held up handwritten signs and sang the popular labour anthem: “Solidarity forever, we shall always fight for our right!”

Videos of schoolchildren singing and protesting have sparked reactions online. Many citizens are upset about the state of the nation.

On Facebook, Daukoru Monigha wrote, “May the good Lord deliver our children for us.” Wisdom Minadoki added, “Let’s keep going till our voice is heard.”

Adire S. Kientimi expressed frustration, saying, “This protest has to include all schools, both private and public, hence NUT has failed woefully. Because the children of government officials are in private schools.”

On X (formerly Twitter), a user named #Clinton207O wrote, “Very sad to see that children are already singing solidarity songs from a young age… Lord save our land.”

The protests in Bayelsa come during a wave of demonstrations led by the Nigeria Union of Teachers in several states.

PUNCH reports that public primary and secondary schools in Oyo State were closed on Monday. Teachers were following a directive from the Nigeria Union of Teachers to start the nationwide protest over the continued captivity of pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Ahoro-Esienle and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area.

The NUT protest saw widespread demonstrations on Tuesday across Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Kogi, and Plateau states. Teachers, civil society groups, and labour activists took to the streets. They condemned the rising cases of school abductions and demanded immediate rescue for pupils and teachers recently kidnapped in Oyo State.