Group condemns delay in rescue efforts, urges protests and improved security before schools resume
The Socialist Labour Movement has called on the Oyo State Government not to reopen schools until all abducted pupils and teachers kidnapped in Oriire Local Government Area are safely rescued.
In a statement signed by its Oyo State Coordinator, Comrade Ogundele Ayo, popularly known as Ay Struggle, the group accused both the state and federal governments of not doing enough to secure the release of the victims, describing the prolonged captivity of the schoolchildren and teachers as unacceptable.
The organisation warned that reopening schools while the victims remain in captivity would send the wrong message and expose other pupils and teachers to further danger. It stressed that the safety and freedom of the abducted persons should be the government’s immediate priority.
The group also referenced previous cases of mass abductions in Nigeria, including the Chibok schoolgirls’ kidnapping, noting that delayed responses and inadequate action often worsen the plight of victims and embolden criminal groups.
Socialist Labour further called on the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), civil society organisations and other democratic groups to mobilise peaceful protests and demand stronger government action on security.
The abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when armed men reportedly invaded three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and kidnapped dozens of pupils and teachers, forcing schools in the area to shut down and prompting an indefinite strike by teachers across the state.
