ABUJA, Nigeria — Protests demanding urgent action on Nigeria’s school kidnappings spread Tuesday across Oyo, Ogun, Abuja, Lagos, Delta, and Plateau, as teachers, civil society groups, and youths rallied under the banners of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).
Demonstrators carried placards reading “Teachers need protection, not condolences” and “Our schools are for learning, not mourning” while calling for the immediate release of abducted teachers and students held for more than two weeks in Oyo, Borno, and other states.
The NUT warned it may withdraw teachers nationwide if insecurity persists, noting that two abducted teachers in Oyo had already been killed. “An attack on teachers is an attack on education, and an attack on education is an attack on the future of Nigeria,” the union declared in a statement signed by National President Titus Amba and Secretary-General Clinton Ikpitibo.
In Delta, hundreds marched to Government House, Asaba, mourning slain colleagues and demanding urgent intervention. In Ogun, protesters sang solidarity songs and urged President Bola Tinubu to treat the crisis as a national emergency. Plateau teachers also rallied in Jos, highlighting both kidnappings and local challenges such as delayed promotions and staff shortages.
Civil society leaders, including Yinka Folarin of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, said the protests were meant to awaken public consciousness. “We are not supposed to live in fear in our own country,” he said.
Government officials in Delta and Plateau pledged solidarity and promised to study teachers’ demands. But protesters insisted that only swift rescue operations and stronger security measures could restore confidence in Nigeria’s education system.
On social media, hashtags like #SecureOurSchools and #JusticeForTeachers trended, with users expressing grief and anger. One post read, “No child should learn under the shadow of fear.” Another said, “Teachers are nation builders, protect them.”
Policy makers and stakeholders echoed the urgency. Some lawmakers renewed calls for state police to decentralize security, while education advocates warned that continued attacks could cripple Nigeria’s school system. Rights groups stressed that the killings of teachers in Oyo underscored the need for immediate reforms.
The rallies underscore the depth of Nigeria’s security crisis, where schools have become targets for kidnappers and bandits. Stakeholders warn that unless urgent reforms are implemented, education itself is at risk.
