NUT Demands Release of Abducted Teachers, Pupils in Cross-Country Rallies

The Nigeria Union of Teachers kicked off simultaneous demonstrations on Monday, demanding the immediate rescue of teachers and pupils taken hostage in recent attacks on schools across the country.

The rallies in Ibadan, Oyo State, and Kano drew hundreds of educators who staged die-ins, brandishing portraits of missing colleagues and children, and chanting slogans demanding government action. Union leaders warned that if the captives are not freed within days, the demonstrations will escalate into a nationwide strike that could shut down schools for millions of pupils.

Rallies Erupt Across Two States

Monday's protests began early in Ibadan, where NUT members gathered outside the Oyo State government secretariat before marching to the city centre. In Kano, teachers assembled at the NUT state headquarters on Mandela Road, waving placards reading "Our children are not for ransom."

State chairmen from the NUT read out identical resolutions at each venue, calling on the federal and state governments to deploy security forces to rescue those still held. The protests were peaceful, but emotions ran high. "We cannot keep teaching while our colleagues are in the bush," said Idris Balogun, Oyo State NUT chairman, addressing the Ibadan crowd.

Background: Recent School Attacks in Oyo

The demonstrations were triggered by a kidnapping in late December 2024, when armed men stormed a school in Oyo State and seized at least four teachers alongside an undisclosed number of pupils. Security sources confirmed that troops launched a search operation within 48 hours, but as of Monday, some captives remained in the hands of their abductors.

Police spokesman DSP Olusola Akingbule declined to specify how many people were taken or how many had been rescued, saying only that operations were "ongoing and active."

Abductions Follow a Worrying Pattern

The Oyo incident fits a pattern of school-targeted attacks that has worsened in the past two years. Northern and central states have reported dozens of school abductions since 2021, many blamed on armed groups seeking ransom payments. In 2024 alone, at least three separate incidents in Kaduna, Niger, and Plateau states involved the kidnapping of educators.

Civil rights groups say the frequency of these attacks has left many schools in affected areas operating with skeletal staff, as teachers refuse to report for duty. Parents in rural communities have pulled children from school following the latest incident in Oyo.

Impact on Rural Schools

Local education officials in affected areas say enrolment in some communities has fallen by as much as 40 percent since attacks escalated. Parents who spoke to reporters in Ibadan said they would not send children back until the security situation improves. "I will not risk my daughter's life," said Mrs. Adunni Olorunsogo, a parent in Oyo State's Ido local government area. "Let them bring back the teachers first."

NUT Threatens Full Nationwide Strike

National NUT president Mrs. Mojisola Nasiru announced in Abuja on Monday that the union was giving the government a two-week deadline to secure the safe return of all educators and pupils. If the deadline lapses without results, the union will ballot its entire membership for a full industrial action.

"This is not a protest. It is a warning," Nasiru said in a statement. "If the government cannot protect our people inside schools, then we cannot be blamed for withdrawing our services." The union represents more than 350,000 teachers across Nigeria's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

What Comes Next

Security analysts say the two-week deadline creates pressure on both state police and federal forces to produce results quickly. The Inspector General of Police has directed the commissioner in Oyo to "spare no resources" in locating the captives, according to a statement from the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Teachers and parents are watching closely. The NUT's national executive is scheduled to meet on January 20 to assess the government's response. If no rescue has been confirmed by then, the union's threat of a full shutdown of schools could become reality — potentially affecting more than 20 million pupils across the country.