ABUJA — Nigerian teachers staged nationwide protests this week over a recent wave of school abductions, including the kidnapping of dozens of pupils and educators in Oyo State, according to union officials and local authorities.
The demonstrations, organized by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), occurred in major cities including Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja following the abduction of about 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers on May 15 in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Two teachers were killed during or after the attack, officials said.
Gunmen raided three schools — Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School in Esiele — rounding up students and staff before taking them into a nearby forest, reports from state authorities and witnesses indicated. The youngest victims were as young as two years old.
In response, the NUT directed public primary and secondary school teachers in Oyo State to begin an indefinite strike on June 1. On June 2, teachers across multiple states held solidarity rallies demanding the immediate and safe release of those still in captivity.
"This strike and these protests are against the continued detention of our colleagues and learners by the abductors without any clear sign of their timely rescue and safe release," an NUT statement said, according to local media reports.
Similar protests took place in northern states such as Borno and Adamawa, where earlier abductions were also reported. In Abuja, parents and activists joined demonstrations calling for stronger protection of schools.
Oyo State and federal authorities deployed security forces, including Nigerian Air Force surveillance, for rescue operations in forests bordering the state. As of early June, no hostages from the May 15 incident had been freed, officials said. Details on the current number of remaining captives remained unclear in some reports.
The incidents have highlighted broader concerns over school-targeted kidnappings in parts of Nigeria, with teachers and parents expressing fears about sending children to class. Government officials have condemned the attacks and pledged enhanced security measures, though specific timelines for resolutions were not detailed.
As of Tuesday, the protests and strike in Oyo continued, with schools affected across the state. Nationwide teacher actions appeared coordinated but limited to solidarity rallies rather than a full national strike, according to union representatives. Search efforts for the abducted individuals were ongoing, authorities said.
