By Odeh Favour Adiya
A wave of anger and grief has swept across Oyo State as teachers, students and residents staged peaceful protests demanding the immediate rescue of dozens of pupils and teachers abducted by heavily armed bandits.
The demonstrations followed the shocking attacks of Friday, May 15, 2026, when gunmen riding on motorcycles launched coordinated assaults on schools in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting 45 persons, including nursery school children, primary school pupils and teachers.
Protesters, carrying placards with bold inscriptions and chanting solidarity songs, marched through major streets to express frustration over the worsening insecurity in the region and the continued captivity of the victims.
Some of the placards displayed emotional messages such as “No More Kidnapping,” “No More Bandits,” and “Their Deaths Demand Action,” reflecting the deep pain within the academic community following the reported killing of one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, while in captivity.
The protesting teachers expressed growing fears over their safety, warning that schools had become vulnerable targets for terrorists. They noted that many students were now avoiding classrooms out of fear of being kidnapped.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the demonstrators called on both the federal and Oyo State governments, as well as security agencies, to move beyond condemnations and take decisive action to flush out bandits operating in forests around the Oyo-Kwara border communities.
Meanwhile, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, condemned the attacks on schools, describing the repeated invasion of educational institutions in the South-West as a direct assault on the future of the nation.
The group urged authorities to urgently strengthen security around schools and intensify efforts to rescue the victims.
As police tactical teams continue search-and-rescue operations, stakeholders insist that the government must act swiftly to restore public confidence, secure learning environments and ensure the safe return of all abducted pupils and teachers.
