Oyo school abduction: Teachers protest, as CAN declare June 14 Black Sunday

•Lawmakers mourn, urge Security agencies to redouble efforts

Angered by the recent kidnapping of students and educators in the state, teachers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) staged a nationwide protest yesterday.

This is just as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) declared June 14 as “Black Sunday” to mourn the victims of mass abductions and banditry.

As the abducted teachers and pupils remain in captivity, protests continued across the country with the NUT staging rallies in several states. In Ibadan, the nationwide protest by teachers began on a solemn note at the NLC office in the American Quarter area, moving through various parts of the city with banners and placards expressing their plight to members of the public.

Addressing the union in at the State Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde called for a coordinated national response to insecurity and urging Nigerians to set aside partisan interests to support rescue efforts.

The protesters, led by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), converged on the Governor’s Office to demand the immediate rescue of pupils and teachers abducted by gunmen in the Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking, Makinde assured the protesters that security agencies were working round the clock to secure the release of the victims, appealing for patience and public cooperation.

He noted that insecurity remains a challenge requiring the collaboration of all levels of government and citizens, stressing that the safety of the captives is a top priority.

Expressing personal concern over the incident, the governor recalled that his late father served as a primary school teacher in Ahoro Dada, a community located just a few kilometres from where the abduction occurred.

He described the perpetrators as enemies of society and urged Nigerians to unite against criminal elements seeking to undermine the country’s stability.

Earlier, NANS President, Babatunde Akinteye, said students across the federation had mobilised in solidarity with the victims and their families. He explained that all structures of the association across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were represented at the protest to demand the immediate release of the students and teachers.

He described the abductors as monsters and called for a collective national effort to defeat insecurity.

Also speaking, the Oyo State Chairman of the NUT, Fatai Hassan, said teachers across the state were traumatised by the incident and demanded urgent action from the government. He精神 maintained that teachers would continue to withdraw classroom services until the abducted teachers and pupils were rescued.

In Plateau State, teachers gathered in Jos to call for the immediate rescue of their colleagues and the pupils, describing the incident as a major threat to education.

Plateau NUT Chairman, Elisha Ayimani, warned that the growing trend of school kidnappings poses a serious danger to teaching and learning, declaring that the union would down tools until the captives are safely reunited with their families.

Similar demonstrations were held by NUT chapters in Kano and Taraba states, where teachers and students demanded that the government live up to its responsibility by securing the victims and providing adequate school security.

In Edo State, union members led by the State NUT Chairman, Lucky Imarouagheru, marched through major streets in Benin City to express displeasure over the attack. In Ogun State, teachers were joined by members of the NLC and civil society organisations in Abeokuta to advocate for new and more effective tactical approaches to the ongoing rescue efforts.

The protests also spread to Yobe and Adamawa states. The Deputy State Chairman of the Yobe NUT, Ali Abubakar, led a peaceful protest to the Government House in Damaturu, calling the attacks a great setback to education. In Adamawa, protesters delivered a letter of demand to the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Edgar Amos, who assured the teachers of the government’s commitment to school safety.

In Rivers State, the NUT marched to the Government House in Port Harcourt. State Secretary Bassey Asuquo stressed that schools must remain safe havens for children, while the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, pledged the administration’s continued support for security measures.

In the same vein, Lawmakers at the resumption of Senate plenary following a four-week recess lamented the kidnapping and urged security agencies to redouble their efforts.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio speaking during the plenary expressed deep regret that the Senate was resuming in a mournful mood, describing the abduction as an assault on collective humanity.

Akpabio revealed the tragic loss of two dedicated educators, Mr. Michael Oyedokun, who died in captivity, and Mr. Adesiyan Adegboye, who lost his life during the initial attack, alongside a student whose life was cut short.

He assured that through determined government efforts, those still held captive would be rescued, and he cautioned politicians and political aspirants against seeking cheap publicity or politicising national security tragedies.

Amidst the growing crisis, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has declared a three-day national mourning period from June 12 to June 14 to honour victims of violent attacks, mass abductions, and banditry across the country.

The apex Christian body also designated June 14 as “Black Sunday” across all churches as a mark of solidarity with affected families.

The President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, announced the decision in Abuja while reading a communiqué at the end of the National Church Denominational Leaders Summit.

Okoh expressed deep concern over escalating violence in states like Oyo, Ogun, Borno, Kwara, and Kogi, urging the Federal Government to immediately declare a state of emergency on national security.

The CAN President criticised the recurring resort to conciliatory and pacifist rhetoric by senior government officials, calling instead for a proactive, result-oriented approach.

He demanded a comprehensive review of the nation’s security architecture, improved intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency cooperation, and accelerated legislative processes for the establishment of state police.

The Christian body also called for the establishment of a comprehensive compensation and rehabilitation programme for victims of terrorism.

They lamented that premature electioneering and political calculations were taking center stage among the political class while communities remained under siege, urging political leaders to prioritize national security and secure the immediate release of all captives.