Today in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, hundreds of protesters took to the streets, marching from Iwo Road to the State Secretariat to demand the immediate rescue of the students and teachers kidnapped in the Oriire Local Government Area. Armed gunmen on motorcycles invaded three schools in the Oriire axis on May 15, 2026: Community Grammar School (Ahoro-Esinle), Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School (Esiele). The abductors took approximately 46 individuals, including 39 pupils and 7 teachers (such as school principal Mrs. Folawe Alamu). Two individuals, including assistant headmaster Joel Adesiyan, were killed during the attack. The kidnappers later circulated a distressing video showing the execution of one of the abducted teachers, mathematics instructor Michael Oyedokun. The mass protest in Ibadan was organized by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the Take-It-Back Movement, and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT). Protesters held placards chanting "Their deaths demand action" and "Bring back our children." Protesters expressed severe anguish over the security collapse in rural schools. The demonstrators chanted in Yoruba and English, explicitly shouting: "E gba wa o! Gbogbo eyin eeyan wa, e gba wa o! Ati mo pe e n gbo wa, sugbon e dake... E wo awon eyan wa to n ku ninu igbo... We are not criminals! We are teachers!" (Translation: "Help us! All our people, help us! We know you can hear us, but you are silent... Look at our people dying in the forest... We are not criminals! We are teachers!") Demonstrators demanded immediate, direct intervention from Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the Federal Government. Education rights groups demanded a temporary shutdown of public schools to protest unsafe learning environments across vulnerable rural communities. Governor Makinde confirmed that security forces, including the military and Amotekun, are conducting intensive search-and-rescue operations. Authorities are deploying both "kinetic and non-kinetic" strategies to locate the victims deep within the forest reserves. Six suspects, including suspected informants, have been apprehended in connection with the kidnappings.
