The abduction of dozens of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has sparked widespread outrage across the country, prompting condemnation from the Senate, coordinated nationwide protests by teachers, and renewed calls by lawmakers for comprehensive reforms to Nigeria’s security architecture.
The protest took place in the Federal Capital Territory, Edo, Rivers, Cross River, Benue, Adamawa, Taraba, Anambra, A’Ibom, Abia, Osun, Lagos, Niger and several other states.
The nationwide reaction comes as the Senate resumed plenary on Tuesday after the Sallah recess and observed a one-minute silence in honour of two teachers and a pupil killed in connection with the attack.
The incident, which occurred on May 15, saw armed men storm three schools in Ahoro-Esinle and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, abducting pupils and teachers and plunging families into weeks of anguish.
The attack has become one of the most significant school abductions in recent years, reviving painful memories of the Chibok and Dapchi kidnappings and raising fresh concerns about the safety of schools across the country.
Addressing senators during plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the incident as an attack on Nigeria’s collective humanity.
“We resume our work under the mournful shadow of a tragedy that has shaken our nation. The abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State is not merely an attack on innocent citizens; it is an assault on our collective humanity,” he said.
According to him, the tragedy strikes at the heart of Nigeria’s future because children and teachers represent the foundation upon which the nation’s progress rests.
“We mourn because if we cannot protect our children, we imperil our future. We mourn because a nation that cannot guarantee the safety of its teachers weakens the very foundations upon which education rests. And we mourn because, for as long as those children remain in captivity, our nation remains captive with them.”
Akpabio paid tribute to Michael Oyedokun, who reportedly died while in captivity, and Adesiyan Adegboye, who lost his life during the attack.
He also mourned a pupil killed in the incident.
“Today, we grieve the loss of two dedicated educators: Michael Oyedokun, who died in captivity, and Adesiyan Adegboye, who lost his life during the attack. We also mourn the child whose life was cut short before its promise could be fulfilled.
“We share the pain of the bereaved families. Their loss is our loss. Their sorrow is our sorrow. Their pain is our pain,” he said.
The Senate President, however, expressed optimism that ongoing efforts by security agencies would secure the release of those still being held.
“Yet even in the midst of grief, we remain hopeful that, through the determined efforts of the government and our security agencies, those still in captivity will be safely rescued and reunited with their loved ones,” he added.
Akpabio also cautioned politicians against exploiting the tragedy for partisan advantage.
“At moments such as these, there is a temptation to divide, accuse, and seek advantage from tragedy. Politicians and aspirants must resist that temptation for such cheap publicity.
“Those who kidnap our children, terrorise communities, and murder innocent citizens do not distinguish between party, faith, or ethnicity. Their assault is directed against Nigeria itself,” he said.
The attack occurred amid growing concerns over insecurity in schools and educational institutions across the country.
Between May 13 and May 15, at least 82 pupils were abducted in separate attacks in Oyo and Borno states.
In Borno State, 42 pupils were kidnapped after armed groups attacked schools in Askira Uba and Chibok Local Government Areas.
In Oyo State, another 40 pupils were abducted during coordinated attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School, Esiele.
The Oyo attack also claimed the lives of mathematics teacher Oyedokun, a motorcyclist and a security operative during rescue efforts.
The incidents prompted the Nigeria Union of Teachers to direct members across the country to embark on solidarity rallies demanding stronger protection for schools and the immediate release of abducted teachers and pupils.
In Abuja, the House of Representatives called on the Federal Government and security agencies to immediately secure the release of 42 schoolchildren abducted from Mussa Ward in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
The lawmakers also demanded the urgent implementation of a comprehensive national Safe Schools Security Framework to protect educational institutions nationwide.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Midala Balami, representing Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency.
Balami warned that repeated attacks on schools were eroding public confidence and worsening educational access in vulnerable communities.
“The House is concerned that the recurring attacks on schools and communities continue to threaten access to education, endanger lives, traumatise families, disrupt livelihoods, and undermine public confidence in the capacity of government to guarantee security,” he said.
The lawmakers stressed that the protection of pupils and teachers remained a core responsibility of government, urging stronger intelligence, rapid-response deployment, and community-based security mechanisms.
Adopting the motion, the House mandated its committees on National Security, Defence, Basic Education and Legislative Compliance to engage security agencies and report back on rescue efforts.
“The safety of our children and the protection of education must remain a national priority. Our children deserve to learn in an environment free from fear, and our citizens deserve the assurance that government will act decisively to protect lives and property. The time for action is now,” Balami said.
The demand for state police also echoed in the House of Representatives, where lawmakers urged the Federal Government to urgently decentralise policing.
Leading the debate on a motion of urgent public importance, the member representing Ogbomosho North/Ogbomosho South/Orire Federal Constituency, Ayodeji Alao-Akala, lamented the continued attacks on communities around Ogbomoso and Oriire.
“The House notes with a heavy and grieving heart the unrelenting siege upon the people of Ogbomoso and Orire Local Government Areas of Oyo State,” he said.
Alao-Akala described the killing of Oyedokun as a barbaric act that demanded decisive action.
“The House is deeply disturbed by the barbaric execution of Mr Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher, who was beheaded in captivity by his abductors, a savage act that has shocked the conscience of our nation and demands an immediate and decisive response from every arm of government.”
He warned that forests around the Old Oyo National Park had become safe havens for criminal groups.
“We are alarmed that the Old Oyo National Park and its surrounding forests are a vast, ungoverned wilderness straddling the border with Kwara State and opening onto international routes—a hidden highway through which these killers move freely.”
As the protests spread nationwide, teachers in Lagos marched to the State House of Assembly, where Speaker Mudashiru Obasa renewed calls for state policing.
“We are all concerned about the situation, particularly the one that happened in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. Here at the Lagos State House of Assembly, we have been doing our best to ensure security. That is why this House, several times, has been at the forefront of state police,” he said.
Obasa also criticised content creators accused of exploiting tragedies for online engagement.
“You cannot make a profit out of some people’s misfortune. What we should be doing is looking for lasting solutions and rescuing the teachers and pupils.”
In Ibadan, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde described the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area as a moment of national distress requiring unity, not political blame.
Addressing protesters led by the NUT, Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and National Association of Nigerian Students, Makinde said government efforts to rescue the victims were ongoing.
He urged stakeholders to avoid politicising insecurity. “This is a time of national distress. It is not the time to trade blame. It is not the time to play politics,” he stressed.
Makinde added that security forces had been deployed and were working with intelligence agencies to track the abductors.
He appealed for public support, stressing that insecurity threatened every aspect of national life.
“We shouldn’t provide oxygen to the people who want to see us divided. The response at this time should be to pull together and allow the government to see this through.”
The call for stronger security measures was reinforced by teachers and labour unions across the federation.
In Ogun State, the NLC, NUT and civil society groups joined the protest.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Set our teachers, pupils free from captivity,” “Release our teachers and learners unconditionally,” and “Nigeria, our blackboards are turning into graveyards.”
The National Chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Yinka Folarin, said insecurity had reached alarming levels.
“As a matter of responsibility, we are not supposed to live in fear in our country. The government must create an enabling environment, and the people must be ready to support government efforts in the maintenance of peace and sustainable security.
“We are in a dilemma right now in the country. Our right to movement cannot be guaranteed, and in a very barbaric manner, we can see the dehumanisation and humiliation suffered by the victims. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and that is why every well-meaning Nigerian and stakeholder must rise to voice for the voiceless.”
The National Vice-President of the NUT, Titilope Adebanjo, warned that insecurity was threatening the education sector.
“Education is the only living legacy that we have in this country for now, but it is a pity that the insecurity of this nation wants to collapse the only living legacy that we have.
“Teachers are in the classes with fear, students are in the classes with fear. This is not supposed to be.”
The Ogun State NLC chairman, Hameed Benco, warned that labour could escalate action if the government failed to act.
“We want all the abductees to be released, and this nationwide protest is to express our feelings to the federal government, after which another drastic action will likely follow. We expect the federal government to act now.”
In Edo State, members of the NUT marched through Benin City, protesting the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oyo and Borno states.
The teachers carried placards reading “Teachers’ Lives Matter,” “The Classroom Must Not Become a Battlefield,” and “Bring Back Our Teachers in Oyo.”
The Edo NUT chairman, Lucky Imaruagheru, condemned what he described as government complacency.
“We saw the kidnapping and beheading of a teacher in Oyo State, and the government has kept mute on the plight of these children, and we are not going to stay aloof. We cannot allow ourselves to be used as sacrificial lambs while we give our energy, our time, and our resources to make Nigeria a better country.
“But our leaders are keeping mute. It is not acceptable to us. We, teachers, cannot accept that. They should rise up to their responsibilities.”
Teachers in Benue State also joined the nationwide protests. Led by the state NUT Chairman, Levi Akuma, they marched through major streets in Makurdi demanding the immediate rescue of victims.
“What we are demanding is the immediate rescue of school children and teachers kidnapped in Oyo and Borno states over two weeks ago,” Akuma said.
Representing Governor Hyacinth Alia, the Secretary to the State Government, Deborah Aber, assured the teachers that the administration was working to ensure safer schools.
“Governor Alia’s administration is doing everything possible to ensure that abandoned schools are rehabilitated and made safe for the Benue child to access quality education.”
In Adamawa State, teachers and labour activists marched through Yola and later converged on the Government House.
Carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as “Education Under Attack” and “Free Our Teachers and Students,” they demanded stronger protection for schools.
The Adamawa NUT chairman, Faisal Muhammed, expressed disappointment over repeated attacks on educational institutions.
The protesters were later received by the Chief of Staff to Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, Edgar Amos, who assured them that their concerns would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities.
In Niger, the state NUT chairman, Adamu Akayoga, said the state chapter organised a low-key protest.
He said, “Niger State NUT participated in the nationwide protest over the abduction of teachers and school children in Oyo State. We also joined our colleagues in other states to demand that the Federal Government and the State government make efforts to get them released.
“Whatever affects one teacher affects all the teachers. We can no longer remain silent over the insecurity in this country. As I am speaking to you, I am on medication, so I can’t talk too much now,” he said.
In Kano, the state branch of the NUT joined other concerned groups calling on the authorities to secure the release of abducted students and teachers in Oyo and other states in the country.
The protesters who carried placards with various inscriptions lamented the deteriorating security in the country following the recent kidnapping of the pupils and teachers in Oyo.
One of the teachers, Malam Lawan, called on the Federal Government to work for the immediate release of abducted students and teachers across the country.
“The Nigerian government should work for the release of our teachers and pupils who are being abducted,” he said.
The union also called for urgent measures to address the growing insecurity bedevilling the country, with a view to protecting the lives and property of the citizenry.
The wave of protests and growing public anxiety happened as the Nigeria Police Trust Fund urged the Senate to increase its statutory allocation from 0.5 per cent to one per cent.
The Executive Secretary of the Fund, Mohammed Sheidu, said the proposal would help modernise policing through the deployment of drones, surveillance systems, forensic laboratories and digital intelligence tools.
According to him, the investment was necessary to combat kidnapping, terrorism and organised crime.
Meanwhile, the growing anxiety over school safety reverberated in Osun State, where rumours of a bandit invasion triggered panic and forced many schools to shut down operations temporarily.
Parents rushed to schools in Osogbo, Ikirun and other communities to withdraw their children after rumours spread that armed men had invaded parts of the state.
Investigations later revealed that the claims were false.
Responding, Governor Ademola Adeleke urged residents to ignore the rumours and assured them that schools remained safe.
“I task our people to go about their normal activities without fear. Our government has taken steps to secure our schools. The Ministry of Education and the relevant security agencies have worked out a security strategy that is being implemented.”
The governor described the rumour as the handiwork of “evil opposition elements” and insisted that no abduction had occurred.
He added that the state’s Armoured Personnel Carriers had been refurbished and would soon be deployed as part of a broader security strategy.
“No stone will be left unturned to guarantee the security of our schools, our pupils, residents, citizens and properties.” – Punch.
