OGBOMOSO, Nigeria (AP), Teachers in Oyo State marched Monday to demand urgent government action after gunmen abducted students and staff from several schools in Oriire Local Government Area, killing at least two people. The protest highlights growing insecurity in Nigeria’s southwest, a region long considered safer than the country’s north.
The attack occurred Friday near Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities. Witnesses said armed men stormed Community High School, L.A. Primary School, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School. Assistant Headmaster Joel Adesiyan was shot while trying to protect students, and a motorcyclist was killed in the crossfire. A mathematics teacher later died in captivity. At least seven teachers and an unknown number of students were abducted. Videos circulating online showed victims pleading for help.
On Monday, teachers in Ogbomoso carried placards reading “Their deaths demand action” and “Noble teachers gone too soon.” They called on Governor Seyi Makinde and federal security agencies to rescue their colleagues and students. “We cannot continue to teach under fear,” one protester said. “Schools must be safe for children and teachers alike.”
Governor Makinde confirmed that six suspects and three “persons of interest” had been arrested. He suggested the attackers may be armed groups displaced from northern Nigeria, where military operations have intensified against bandits and insurgents. Police said investigations are ongoing, including analysis of viral videos showing abducted victims.
The Christian Association of Nigeria condemned the attack as a “national disgrace,” warning that insecurity is spreading into the southwest. Parents expressed frustration, saying repeated kidnappings have normalized violence against schools. Education unions urged the government to fully implement the Safe Schools Declaration, an international pledge Nigeria signed to protect education during armed conflict.
Nigeria has faced global scrutiny since the 2014 Chibok abductions, when Boko Haram militants kidnapped more than 270 girls. Despite international support, mass kidnappings for ransom have continued, often carried out by armed gangs. The United Nations has warned that attacks on schools violate children’s rights and undermine long-term development. With Nigeria home to one of Africa’s largest school-age populations, insecurity threatens progress toward universal education.
Teachers vowed to continue protests until their colleagues and students are rescued. Security experts caution that unless kidnapping networks are dismantled, attacks on schools could escalate, threatening Nigeria’s education system and regional stability.
