Teachers protest wave of school abductions

CAN calls for state of emergency on insecurity Teachers on Tuesday staged protests across several states over attacks on schools and the abduction of students and educators, calling for urgent action to secure learning institutions nationwide. The demonstrations, organised by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), were held in Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Sokoto, Anambra, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of the country. The protests were triggered by the abduction of more than 80 students and teachers in Borno and Oyo states in May. On May 14, suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting over 40 children, including toddlers. The attackers reportedly used the children as human shields while fleeing. On the same day, gunmen invaded Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School in Ahoro-Esiele, Oyo State, abducting pupils and teachers. Two teachers were later killed by their captors. The incidents are the latest in a series of attacks on schools since the 2014 abduction of more than 270 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State. Despite the federal government’s Safe Schools Initiative, educational institutions have remained vulnerable to attacks by terrorists and kidnappers. Speaking during the protest in Abuja, NUT National President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted teachers and students, warning that continued 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 noted that the victims had remained in captivity for more than two weeks, while the killing of two abducted teachers in Oyo underscored the urgency of securing the release of those still being held. He also criticised the Safe Schools Initiative, launched after the Chibok abduction, saying it had failed to adequately protect schools. According to him, attacks have continued across several states despite measures introduced under the programme. The union urged the federal government to review the initiative, address its shortcomings and strengthen security around schools. It also called on Nigerians to support efforts aimed at creating safe learning environments for teachers and students. Major school abductions in Nigeria from 2023 to 2026 Nigeria has continued to grapple with recurring attacks on educational institutions, with multiple mass abductions recorded between 2023 and 2026 across different states. January 2023: Six pupils were abducted from the Local Government Education Authority Primary School, Alwaza, in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. Two of the students were rescued the following day, while the remaining four spent about two weeks in captivity before their release. September 2023: In Zamfara State, about 24 students were reportedly kidnapped from their hostel in Sabon Gida. In a separate incident within the same month, Kano State also experienced a mass abduction involving about 20 students. October 2023: Gunmen attacked a student lodge belonging to Nasarawa State University, Keffi, abducting at least four students during the assault on October 10. January 2024: On January 30, armed men attacked a school bus belonging to Apostolic Faith Secondary School in Ekiti State, abducting pupils, a teacher, and the driver. The pupils and teacher were rescued after four days, while the driver was found dead. March 2024: On March 8, gunmen stormed the Government Secondary School, Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, abducting 287 students and killing a vigilante. Although the state government later announced their release, it did not confirm whether all abducted students were accounted for. A day later, 15 students were kidnapped from a Tsangaya school in Gidan Bakuso, Sokoto State. They were freed after 14 days following military operations. November 2025: On November 17, gunmen attacked Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, abducting 25 female students. The vice-principal, Hassan Makuku, was killed, while a security guard sustained gunshot injuries. On November 21, a larger attack occurred at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, where 315 people, including 303 students and 12 teachers, were abducted. April 2026: Five students of Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade, Ogun State, were abducted by armed men but were later rescued by police. In another incident on April 26, gunmen invaded an unregistered orphanage and school facility in Zariagi, Lokoja, Kogi State, abducting about 2023 pupils and the proprietor’s wife. All victims were later rescued. May 2026: Between May 13 and 14, militants attacked a primary school in Chibok, Borno State, abducting 42 children. On May 15, gunmen invaded three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis of Oriire, Oyo State, abducting several students and staff. The vice-principal of Community Grammar School, Alamu Folawe, was among those taken, while an assistant headmaster, Adesiyan, was killed during the attack. It will, however, be noted according to available records from monitoring groups that at least 2,531 students have been kidnapped across 31 recorded school attacks since 2014. Safe school initiative The Safe Schools Initiative was launched in 2014, in response to the abduction of over 200 school girls from Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram. It was established as a multi-stakeholder partnership involving the federal government, private sector leaders, the Global Business Coalition for Education, and then UN Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown. The initiative aims to enhance the protection of schools through improved infrastructure, strengthened community-based security systems, and more effective emergency response mechanisms. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) serves as the lead implementing agency, responsible for coordinating security measures under the programme. It also operates the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) from its headquarters in Abuja, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education. In February 2026, the federal government reaffirmed its commitment to school safety with the introduction of a Smart School Protection Strategy aimed at strengthening security across educational institutions nationwide. The initiative was unveiled during a strategic meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education and the NSCDC, highlighting government’s resolve to prevent attacks on schools and ensure the protection of students. The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, described the engagement as a landmark step and reiterated the Corps’ commitment to safeguarding critical national infrastructure, including schools. He revealed that a nationwide assessment showed that more than 60,000 of Nigeria’s over 81,000 schools lack adequate security infrastructure, including perimeter fencing. According to him, these findings led to the establishment of specialised units such as the Safe Schools Protection Squad and a trained Female Squad, which have collectively prevented over 110 security threats across the country. Meanwhile, efforts to obtain the reaction of the NSCDC on the continued attacks on schools were unsuccessful. Calls, text messages, and WhatsApp messages sent to the Corps’ Public Relations Officer, Mr Babawale Afolabi, were not returned. Although he indicated that he would respond, none had been received as of the time of filing this report. Similarly, a former commandant of the Safe Schools Initiative, Mr Emmanuel Ocheja, said inquiries should be directed to his successor, ACG Umanah A. Samuel, but efforts to obtain the current official’s contact details were unsuccessful. Situation in states NUT members in Borno State stormed the Government House and the streets, demanding the unconditional rescue of dozens of pupils and students kidnapped from Mussa Primary and Secondary School in Askira Uba and all students in captivity. “Children deserve protection. We want the government to intensify efforts in rescuing 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 in its treatment of victims of abduction. In Kano State, Sunusi Dayyabu, NUT deputy chairman, called for stronger government intervention to secure schools, stressing that teachers should be able to work without fear of intruders. “Our schools should be secured so that our teachers can go and work freely without any fear,” he added. Teachers in Kwara State declared that no school in Nigeria can be considered safe amid rising insecurity across the country. The Deputy Secretary-General of the NUT in Kwara State, Mike Modesty, said the Oyo abduction was part of a growing pattern of attacks on educational institutions. “A similar incident happened in Borno. Only last week, a teacher was kidnapped in Zamfara and was eventually killed even after ransom was paid. How do we continue like this? The solution right now is that government must rise up to the occasion,” he said. On whether the union might consider shutting down schools nationwide to compel stronger government action, he suggested that such a move remained a possibility if the situation continued to deteriorate. And in Taraba State, the Chairman of NUT, Nathan Solomon, said the union was deeply saddened by the recurring attacks on schools across the country, particularly the recent abduction in Oyo State. “Schools are meant to be centres of learning and character formation, not places of fear and insecurity. We are demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted students and their teachers,” he said. The Commissioner for Vocational and Secondary Education, Dr Augustina Godwin, described the abduction of Oyo and Borno students and teachers as attack on education and the future of Nigerian children. Meanwhile, in Oyo State, families of pupils and teachers abducted by bandits in Oyo State rejected rice and cash brought by government officials, insisting that their priority was the safe return of their loved ones. The Baale of Yawota in Oriire LGA, Emmanuel Alade, during an interview with News Central on Monday, said government representatives who visited the affected communities to sympathise with residents were turned away 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. Speaking during a protest held at the Oyo State Governor’s Office, NUT Chairman in Oyo State, Hassan Fatai, said teachers across the state would continue to stay away from classrooms until the abducted victims are released. “Teachers are now living in fear. We can no longer go to classes. We demand improved security architecture so that our students and teachers are no longer exposed to such attacks,” he said. Addressing the protesters, Governor Seyi Makinde said the situation calls for unity rather than blame or political division. “This is a time of national distress, not a time to trade blame or play politics. It is time for all Nigerians to come together and deal decisively with the perpetrators,” he said. The second day of the ongoing protest to press for the rescue of the 46 pupils and teachers recently abducted in Oyo State turned dramatic in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Tuesday, as protesters resisted attempt 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 Organisations (CSOs) among other residents joined the nationwide protest, expressing their displeasure over the development. There was a mild drama when the protesters met the brick wall when they got to one of the gates leading to the state’s seat of power. The gates were locked by the security operatives to prevent the protesters from entering into the state secretariat and the governor’s office. In the process, there was a confrontation as the protesters in their large number angrily pushed the gate to force it open, but security agents on the other side pushed back in resistance. The protesters, however, over-powered the security agents and forced their way into the state secretariat, singing the 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 double their efforts and place more premium on the value of human life. The National President of NUT, Titus Amba, represented by Titilope Adebanjo, the National Vice President, asserted that teachers now live in fear, appealing to President Bola Tinubu to see the issue as a matter of urgency and secure their release immediately. The Ogun State NLC chairman, Hameed Benco, expressed his anger, stressing that the protest was just a warning to the government as drastic action will follow soon if nothing is done. In Lagos, NUT members protested at the Lagos State House of Assembly, demanding the release of the abducted children and other people in the captive of kidnappers. They gave the federal government a one-week ultimatum to take decisive action against insecurity. Lagos State NUT Chairman, Akintoye Mujeeb, said teachers could no longer remain silent in the face of growing 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. Responding to the protesters, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, assured the teachers that their message would be conveyed to the appropriate authorities. The NUT Chairman in Bayelsa State, Richman Otobo, said “teachers are not slaves” and their lives should not be “put at stake.” He decried the reports that some victims were being maltreated and appealed 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 called on both the federal and state governments to take immediate and decisive action rather than issuing empty promises, insisting that classrooms must not become battlefields or a den of kidnappers. Chairman of NUT, Chika Chukwudozie, said “For over two weeks now, the innocent teachers and learners are still in captivity under inhumane conditions, leaving their families to live in fear and anguish.” The Benue NUT chairman, Levi Akuma, during peaceful demonstration, demanded the immediate rescue of the abducted victims and urged government at all levels to beef up security in schools across the country. Addressing the protesting teachers, the Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, assured them that his administration was working with the federal government to ensure the safety of schoolchildren in the state and across the country. Protesting teachers in Adamawa, who barricaded the Government House gate, expressed deep concern over the persistent attacks on schools, stressing that any assault on teachers and students is a direct attack on the nation’s future and educational development. NUT chairman in Adamawa, Fasial Muhammad, urged the Federal and State Governments to take urgent action. Teachers in Cross River State threatened to shut down schools across the state next week Monday if the federal government failed to rescue abducted students and teachers and the state government fails to pay backlog of salaries owed to teachers since September 2025. Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Comrade Gregory Olayi spoke after the demonstration. NUT chairman in Osun, Babatunde Babalola, said: “We are also appealing to the federal government to look into the security issues and find a lasting solution to the problem. Without adequate security in our schools, the learning environment would not be conducive.” Enugu teachers lamented that schools are fast becoming high-risk environments for both educators and students. Enugu NUT chairman, Theophilus Odo, appealed to the authorities to keep schools safe so that teachers and learners will be comfortable going to school. The protests were also held in A/Ibom, Ondo and Sokoto states, with the leaders of the NUT reiterating calls for the release of the children and teachers and the urgent need to keep schools safe. Reps seek rescue of abducted pupils, teachers, push security reforms The House of Representatives, also on Tuesday called for the immediate rescue of at least 72 abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo and Borno states, while urging the federal government to strengthen security around schools and implement far-reaching reforms to tackle insecurity nationwide. The resolutions followed the adoption of two motions of urgent public importance sponsored by Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala and Midala Usman Balami during plenary. While acknowledging ongoing rescue efforts and the federal government’s approval of 1,000 forest guards for the area, he called for the establishment of a permanent military forward operating base in Orire to sustain security operations. In a separate motion, Balami raised concerns over the abduction of 42 schoolchildren in Mussa Ward, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State. He noted that repeated attacks on schools and communities continue to threaten access to education. Our nation remains captive — Akpabio The Senate also lamented the development, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio describing the incident as an assault on the nation’s collective humanity. Addressing lawmakers at the resumption of plenary, Akpabio said Nigeria would remain “captive” for as long as the abducted children remained in the hands of their captors. The Senate paid tribute to two teachers, Adesiyan Adegboye and Michael Oyedokun, who lost their lives during the attack and in captivity, respectively, as well as a student killed in the incident. Akpabio also cautioned politicians against exploiting the tragedy for political gain, noting that insecurity affects Nigerians regardless of political, religious or ethnic differences. By Musa Luka Musa, Husseini Yahaya, Faruk Shuaibu (Abuja), Sani Ibrahim Paki (Kano), Bassey Willie (Yenagoa), Peter Moses (Lagos), Eyo Charles (Calabar), Iniabasi Umo (Uyo), Promise Adagba (Akure), Salim Ashir Mahuta (Sokoto), Ado A. Musa (Jos), Mumini Abdulkareem (Ilorin) & Magaji lsa Hunkuyi (Jalingo)