The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Ogun State Wing, on Tuesday, joined the nationwide protest called by the union’s national body over the recent abduction of teachers and students in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, with a demand for the immediate rescue of the kidnapped victims.
The protest led by the Ogun State Chairman of the NUT, Sewakanu Noah Oladipupo, culminated at the entrance of the Governor’s Office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, where the union held a press conference.
Noah Oladipupo lamented the recurring attacks on schools and educational institutions, saying that the legacy of leaving behind “a generation of educated, safe, and confident children dies when schools become graveyards.”
He said that “Education is the bedrock of any nation. But today in Nigeria, that bedrock is shaking. Our schools, which should be sanctuaries of learning, have sadly become targets for kidnappers, bandits, and terrorists.
“Teachers wake up daily not knowing if they will return home. Pupils go to school not knowing if they will be in class by closing time, or in the bush with captors. This is not the Nigeria we were promised. This is not the future we want for our children.…Today, Ogun Teachers have joined our colleagues across 36 states to say: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.“
“Our anger was pushed to the limit by the recent coordinated attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Armed men invaded classrooms in broad daylight. They killed Teachers in front of their pupils. They abducted innocent children and marched them into the forest.“
“Those teachers were colleagues. Those pupils were someone’s children. If it happened in Oriire yesterday, it can happen in Odeda, Ifo, Imeko, Ipokia, Ogbogbo or Sagamu tomorrow. No Teacher should have to choose between duty and death. No child should have to choose between school and survival.“
“The psychological trauma is deep. In many schools across Ogun today, attendance has dropped. Teachers are afraid. Parents are keeping children at home. When schools close out of fear, then insecurity has already won. Nigeria cannot afford that!”
Noah Oladipupo listed four “clear, non-negotiable demands“, including the “Unconditional and Immediate Release of the Abducted Teachers and Pupils in Captivity”, the provision of “Visible, Adequate Security in All Schools“, the “Urgent Implementation of Safe School Standards”, and the “Rejection of Classrooms as Targets” for kidnappers and criminals.
Noah Oladipupo further demanded “visible security presence in all schools across Ogun State and Nigeria. Not just on paper. We mean armed Police, Civil Defence, Vigilante Groups, and CCTV where possible. Every school must have a security plan and an emergency response number. A school without security is a cage waiting to be raided.”
He also called on the federal government to initiate the immediate implementation of the Safe School Initiative and the Safe School Standards in every school, including “perimeter fencing, gates, emergency exits, lighting, and training of teachers on safety drills. Funding for this must be a national priority, not a line item.”
The NUT Ogun State Chairman asked Nigerian parents and citizens to express solidarity with the protesting teachers, as he said that “a teacher under threat cannot teach effectively. A child in fear cannot learn effectively. Our fight is your fight.”
Tuesday’s protest by the Nigeria Union of Teachers is Day 2 of their demonstration across the country, as they demand the release of the abducted teachers and students in Oriire Local Government Area.
