Public primary and secondary schools across Oyo State were closed on Monday as teachers joined a nationwide protest called by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) over the continued detention of pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Ahoro-Esienle and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area.
The action came as residents, labour activists and civil society groups staged demonstrations in Oyo and Ogun states, demanding the immediate release of the victims and stronger government action against rising insecurity.
The abductees were taken on May 15, 2026, when gunmen invaded Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the affected communities. The incident has sparked widespread outrage across the country.
Checks showed that public schools in all 33 local government areas of Oyo State complied with the union’s directive. Pupils who had prepared for classes in several parts of Ibadan and other communities were turned back home after learning of the industrial action.
Compliance was also reported in Ogbomoso and the Ibarapa zone.
In Ogbomoso, protesters marched through major streets, calling for the immediate rescue of the kidnapped pupils and teachers. Emotions ran high as family members of some of the victims joined the rally.
A woman whose children were among those abducted broke down in tears while appealing to the government and security agencies to secure their release.
Another protester, Ajibola Aboderin, described the prolonged captivity of the victims as heartbreaking, noting that the pupils and teachers had spent nearly three weeks in the hands of their captors.
“We are protesting peacefully to draw the attention of the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government and security agencies to the urgent need to rescue these children and teachers,” he said.
Teachers who participated in the protest said the demonstration was intended to draw attention to the plight of their abducted colleagues and pupils.
One teacher said the action reflected solidarity with the victims and their families, urging both federal and state authorities to expedite efforts to secure their freedom.
Parents also expressed concern over the prolonged captivity of the abductees.
Some said they only became aware of the strike through radio broadcasts and neighbours after their children had already prepared for school.
In Ibadan, members of the Take-It-Back Movement and other civil society organisations staged a peaceful protest, carrying placards with messages demanding improved security and an end to kidnappings in the state.
Security personnel, including operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, were deployed to strategic locations across the city to monitor the demonstration.
One of the protesters, identified simply as Kunle, said many Nigerians had become frustrated by the persistent insecurity affecting communities across the country.
Meanwhile, residents of Abeokuta, Ogun State, also took to the streets to protest the abduction and worsening security situation nationwide.
The demonstrators carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Bring Back Our School Children,” “Stop Kidnapping and Banditry,” and “End Terrorism in Nigeria.”
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Juwon Owolabi said the growing insecurity had left many citizens living in fear and uncertainty.
He urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts to secure the release of the abducted pupils and teachers, warning that insecurity had become a threat to all Nigerians regardless of social status.
Other participants, including business owners and parents, lamented the impact of insecurity on their daily lives and livelihoods, calling on the government to guarantee the safety of citizens.
A nursing mother, Precious Jonathan, appealed for greater commitment to protecting children, saying the plight of the abducted pupils had deeply affected many parents.
As pressure mounts on authorities, teachers across the country are expected to stage solidarity rallies today in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The nationwide demonstrations were directed by the NUT leadership through a circular dated May 29, 2026, signed by the union’s President, Audu Amba, and Secretary, Clinton Ikpitibo.
The rallies are aimed at drawing attention to the increasing wave of kidnappings targeting schools, teachers and learners.
In Lagos, teachers are expected to march from Ikeja Bus Stop to the Alausa Secretariat, while their counterparts in Oyo will converge at the Nigeria Labour Congress secretariat in Ibadan.
Speaking ahead of the protest, Lagos State NUT Chairman, Akintoye Hassan, said the union deliberately decided against shutting schools nationwide despite concerns over insecurity.
According to him, schools would remain open in most states, with Oyo being an exception due to the recent abductions.
Hassan argued that a nationwide closure of schools would amount to yielding to the objectives of criminal groups seeking to discourage education.
He warned that prolonged closure of public schools would disproportionately affect children from low-income families and widen educational inequality.
The union leader called on governments at all levels to place the safety of citizens and educational institutions above all other considerations, stressing that the protest was intended to highlight the broader security challenges confronting schools across the country.
He added that insecurity, once concentrated in parts of northern Nigeria, had gradually spread to other regions, including the South-West, underscoring the need for urgent and comprehensive action.
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