Teachers in public schools across Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on Monday staged a peaceful protest over the abduction of their colleagues and students, calling on the government and security agencies to intensify rescue efforts and ensure their safe return.
The protesters, who gathered early in the morning, marched through designated routes while chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Their deaths demand action,” “Say their name, remember their sacrifice,” and “Noble teachers gone too soon.” They appealed for swift intervention from security agencies and the state government amid growing concern over the safety of schools in the area.
The protest followed Friday’s armed attack along the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis of Oriire in Ogbomoso, where gunmen on motorcycles reportedly invaded several communities and targeted schools, including Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, L.A. Primary School, Esiele, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School. Students and staff members were abducted during the raid.
The attack also claimed the lives of an assistant headmaster, identified as Joel Adesiyan, and a commercial motorcyclist.
According to reports from The Punch, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, confirmed that seven teachers were abducted, while the exact number of missing pupils is still being verified. He also stated that a video received by the state government indicated that one of the abducted teachers, a mathematics instructor, had been killed.
“The information available to us is that seven teachers were abducted. Unfortunately, we received a video this morning showing that one of the teachers, the mathematics teacher, was killed by the terrorists,” the governor said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force in Oyo State, DSP Ayanlade Olushola Olayinka, confirmed on Sunday that the command was aware of a viral video allegedly showing abducted victims pleading for help and said investigations had commenced to verify its authenticity and track those responsible.
