Pupils, Teachers’ Abduction Sparks Protests in Oyo, Ogun

There were protests in Oyo and Ogun states on Monday following the continued captivity of 46 pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Daily Trust reports that there are mounting concerns over the safety of the victims abducted from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The abductors, using motorcycles in a coordinated attack, snatched dozens and fled into a nearby forest reserve bordering Oriire communities and the Old Oyo National Park axis with their victims. Four motorcycles were also reportedly snatched from villagers to aid their operations. A two-year-old toddler, Christianah Akanbi, of Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School, is among the 46 persons kidnapped by terrorists. The attack also resulted in the killing of a teacher. “The terrorists came around 8 a.m. We had all started the morning session. They came on six motorcycles, and there were two passengers on each bike,” a teacher at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Elizabeth Olagoke, was quoted as saying. Two days later, two separate clips showed the abducted principal of Community Grammar School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Rachael Alamu, and a nursing mother pleading for rescue. The gruesome murder of one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, has raised tension and fears among residents and families of the victims over the need to intensify rescue efforts. He was reportedly beheaded in a disturbing video allegedly released by the abductors on Sunday, a development that has heightened tension across the affected communities and renewed concerns over worsening insecurity in parts of the state. In the viral footage circulating on social media, the victim was seen with his hands tied while he was allegedly forced to speak before being gruesomely killed by the assailants. The video has since triggered outrage among residents, parents, civil society groups, and religious leaders, many of whom have called on security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the release of other victims still being held captive. On Saturday, Governor Seyi Makinde visited the communities and assured victims’ families of his commitment to rescuing them from the kidnappers’ den. “Please believe in me. I have not been sleeping well myself. Together with the service commanders, we meet twice every day, once in the morning and once at night, sometimes until 10 or 11 p.m.,” he said. On Sunday, President Bola Tinubu also dispatched a delegation to visit the community. The delegation was led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and includes the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Inspector-General of Police, Tunde Disu; the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa; Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe; and the Special Adviser to the President on Public Communications, Sunday Dare. Our correspondent reports that the continued detention, which has generated outrage and condemnation across social media, sparked protests on Monday. In Ibadan, members of the Take-It-Back Movement staged a protest at Mokola Roundabout to express concern over the worsening security situation in the state. The protesters, who converged on the busy junction in the state capital, called on the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the release of the victims and address the rising cases of kidnapping across Oyo State. Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the demonstrators expressed concern over what they described as growing insecurity affecting residents, farmers, traders, and students. Some of the placards read, “Security for all, not for a few,” “Government must end kidnapping in Oyo State,” “We demand safer roads and communities,” “Protect farmers, traders, and students,” and “Peace, security, and justice.” Speaking during the protest, one of the demonstrators said Nigerians were becoming increasingly frustrated by the persistent security challenges confronting the country. “Let them know that the people of Nigeria are not at peace. Let them know that the people of Oyo State are not smiling. Let them know that the Nigerian people are fed up with insecurity,” the protester said. In Abeokuta, Ogun State, residents also protested against insecurity and the Oyo school abductions. The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions such as, “The crime they committed is that they went to school; release our children and teachers,” “Stop brutality, kidnapping, banditry,” “Stop insecurity, Nigeria is falling apart,” “Our future is crying for help! Help! Help!”, “Let us believe in our country again,” “Bring back our schoolchildren,” and “End terrorism in Nigeria,” among others. Speaking on behalf of the demonstrators at the Panseke Skating Ground in Abeokuta, Juwon Owolabi lamented that residents can no longer sleep well as they do not know what or who will be the next victim. “This is a time when the parents and everyone are grieving. We cannot continue like this. We sleep with anxiety and panic, and we trust that the government has the capacity and what it takes to end this insecurity now. “We know that if it doesn’t end now, no one will be safe in the end. We stand with the parents and the families of those who are in the den of these terrorists. “We are at a tipping point. We are at a point where, if we don’t do anything about this insecurity, all of us will become victims of it. It doesn’t matter who you are, whether you are a civil servant, whether you are rich or poor; you are not safe. “Nobody is safe. It’s time we all come out. There is power in our numbers. The government must know we are united. Don’t wait until the 2027 election. You don’t even have a choice. The choices are already being made for you, so this is the time for us to speak out peacefully.” “We are imploring the government to deploy all necessary instruments to ensure that these children are released and that the security of our communities is guaranteed,” he said. Also speaking, Ada Comfort disclosed that although her children are not among the victims, she constantly worries about the welfare of the abducted children. Comfort argued that the country’s insecurity has also affected businesses, insisting that the least the government can do is protect the lives and property of its residents. “For someone like me, I’m into Aso Oke, and I travel to Iseyin and Ilorin. For the past week, I have not been able to travel; I can’t do anything. “I have orders coming in, but I can’t work. “I know that every mother whose children are in the captivity of the bandits is unhappy. My kids are not there, but I can’t sleep. I daydream about those children and can’t imagine how terrible the mothers of those children are feeling at the moment. “The least the government can do for us as citizens is provide security. We are begging them.”