Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has assured residents that the state government is working closely with security agencies and relevant stakeholders to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area.
The assurance came on Tuesday when hundreds of teachers, workers and students staged a peaceful protest at the Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, to demand urgent action over the continued captivity of the victims.
The demonstration was led by the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Fatai Hassan; the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kayode Martins; and the National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Babatunde Akinteye.
The protesters marched to the Governor’s Office, expressing concern over the fate of more than 30 pupils and teachers abducted from schools in the Ahoro-Ile and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area.
Addressing the governor during the protest, Hassan said the incident had plunged the affected communities into fear and uncertainty. He maintained that teachers across Oyo State would not return to classrooms until the abducted pupils and their colleagues were released.
Also speaking, Martins and Akinteye described the abduction as unfortunate and unacceptable, noting that Oyo State had long enjoyed a reputation as one of the most peaceful states in the country.
They called on the Federal Government, Oyo State Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to ensure the safe rescue of the victims.
Responding, Governor Makinde reiterated that every possible effort was being made to secure the release of the abducted pupils and teachers.
He urged Nigerians to remain united in confronting insecurity and cautioned against attempts to politicise the tragic incident.
According to the governor, the priority of all stakeholders should be the safe return of the victims and the prevention of similar occurrences in the future.
The meeting between the governor and the protesters came barely two days after a Federal Government delegation led by Nuhu Ribadu visited the affected communities in Oriire Local Government Area to assess the situation and reassure residents of ongoing rescue efforts.
As of the time of filing this report, all public primary and secondary schools across Oyo State remained closed as rescue efforts and related demonstrations continued.
