ABUJA, Nigeria (FN) — Security was tightened Thursday around Nigeria’s Aso Rock Presidential Villa as activist Omoyele Sowore led a protest demanding the release of dozens of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states last month.
Anti-riot police, military personnel, and other security agencies restricted access to the State House and the Three-Arms Zone, allowing only holders of official identification to enter. Vehicles approaching the seat of power were subjected to thorough screening, causing traffic disruptions across Abuja.
The measures followed Sowore’s ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu, in which he declared: “We’ll march to Aso Villa on Thursday if abducted Oyo pupils are not rescued.” On May 15, gunmen abducted 39 students and seven teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, while 42 pupils were taken from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Borno State.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, accused the government of negligence. “You cannot claim to be president of Nigeria and then refuse to do the job of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” he told demonstrators. “This is not about hype or social media grandstanding. This is about the life of children.”
Protesters marched from Eagle Square through major thoroughfares in Abuja, carrying placards reading: “Release our children and teachers unconditionally,” “Teachers deserve security, not fear,” and “School should be a sanctuary, not a crime scene.”
President Tinubu has dispatched a delegation led by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to Oyo communities and approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards alongside the deployment of a specialized rescue unit.
Nigeria has faced escalating kidnappings in recent years, particularly targeting schools. The 2014 abduction of more than 270 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram drew global condemnation, but mass abductions have continued, often carried out by armed groups seeking ransom.
On social media, frustration mounted. One user on X wrote: “If the government can deploy hundreds of armed men to block Sowore, why can’t they deploy the same energy to rescue innocent children?” Teachers Union President Audu Amba said: “Teachers cannot continue to work under fear. The government must prioritize the safety of schools.”
Senator Shehu Sani, a former lawmaker and activist, tweeted: “The protest is a wake-up call. The government must act decisively against kidnappers or risk losing public trust.” Aisha Yesufu, co-convener of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, told reporters: “We warned years ago that schools would remain vulnerable unless systemic reforms were made. Today’s tragedy proves nothing has changed.”
Sowore criticized the heavy security presence at the protest, arguing that resources could be better used to protect schools. “Your children are also in schools,” he told security agents. “If the school becomes a ground for kidnapping, one day your children too will be kidnapped.”
The protests underscore growing frustration among Nigerians who say the government has failed to stem insecurity, leaving vulnerable populations — especially schoolchildren — exposed to violence.
