Two weeks after the abduction of teachers and students from schools in Oyo State by terrorists, Presient Tinubu has pledged safe return of the abducted teachers and the pupils
In a statement via X on Monday, Tinubu promised that all efforts will be made to rescue the teachers and pupils abducted in Oyo State.
According to him, security agencies have been directed to deploy every lawful means available, including both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches, to ensure the safe return of the victims.
“Our rescue efforts will be intelligence-led, careful, coordinated, and sustained. We will deploy every lawful tool available, both kinetic and non-kinetic, to ensure our children and teachers are safely returned home,” Tinubu said in a statement posted on his X handle.
The President also expressed sorrow over the killing of a teacher during the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, and extended his condolences to the wife of the deceased, Mrs. Mary Oyedokun.
“I also extend my deepest condolences to Mrs. Mary Oyedokun, the wife of the late school teacher and her family. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten, and his family will not be abandoned,” he stated.
Also, President Tinubu stressed that children should never be subjected to the trauma of abduction.
“No child should be taken from the safety of a classroom. No parent should have to endure this anguish,” he said.
He further assured the affected communities that ongoing efforts to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers would remain sustained, coordinated and intelligence-driven.
Tinubu also reiterated measures already approved to strengthen security in the area, including the deployment of a specialised security unit equipped with advanced rescue capabilities.
“I have also directed the deployment of a specialised security unit with advanced rescue capabilities to intensify efforts to secure the safe return of the abducted pupils and teachers,” he said.
The President’s statement comes amid heightened concern over the May 15, 2026 abduction, which prompted the Federal Government to dispatch a high-level delegation to the affected communities in Oriire Local Government Area.
The delegation included the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Defence; and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, among other senior government and security officials.
Tinubu further disclosed that, in collaboration with the Oyo State Government, the Federal Government was mobilising 1,000 forest guards to improve surveillance in forest corridors often exploited by armed groups.
He added that the initiative would be backed by broader operational measures designed to enhance rescue operations and prevent future attacks.
Tinubu also revealed that a request to establish a military base in the affected area was under urgent consideration.
Gunmen had on May 15 reportedly attacked the Ahoro-Esiele community in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, abducting scores of pupils and teachers, including the principal of a secondary school.
One of the teachers was reportedly killed by the bandits while in captivity.
The incident drew widespread condemnation, anger, and grief, triggering protests and an indefinite strike by the Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers.
Protest Rocks Ibadan Over Abduction of Pupils, Teachers
Civil society groups are staging a protest in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, over the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in the state.
The demonstration comes a few days after teachers protested in Ogbomoso, where the kidnapping incident occurred, demanding urgent action over the fate of the victims.
The protesters are marching through parts of the city carrying placards with inscriptions such as, “Every Life Matters, Stop the Kidnappers,” “47 Abducted, Scared and Alone,” and “Stand Up! Speak Out!”
The abduction incident in Oriire Local Government Area, has continued to generate concern among education stakeholders and residents across the state.
On Monday last week, teachers shut down classroom activities in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, and staged a peaceful protest to the TESCOM office in the town over the abduction of students and teachers, which resulted in the killing of one teacher.
A week after the teachers protest, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has directed all public primary and secondary school teachers in Oyo State to withdraw their services from schools beginning Monday, June 1, 2026, until further notice.
According to the directive issued by the national leadership of the union, the strike is in protest against the continued captivity of abducted teachers and pupils, whose rescue and safe release, according to the Union, “remain uncertain”.
It argued that the prolonged detention of the victims has created fear and anxiety among teachers, discouraged parents from sending their children to school, and heightened tension across communities in the state.
In a release signed by the NUT chairman, Oyo state wing, Comrade Hassan Fatai, the NUT said the industrial action is “aimed at drawing the attention of government authorities to the urgent need to intensify efforts toward securing the safe release of the abductees without further delay.”
The union urged all teachers to comply fully with the directive, remain law-abiding, and stay safe in their respective homes throughout the period of the strike.
It also reaffirmed its solidarity with the abducted teachers, pupils, and their families, stressing that lawful engagements with relevant government authorities would continue until the victims regain their freedom.