Hundreds of youths and civil society advocates on Thursday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, demanding the immediate release of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire local government area of Oyo State.
The demonstrators marched through major roads in the city, chanting solidarity songs and calling on security agencies and government authorities to intensify efforts to rescue the pupils and their teachers.
They carried placards with inscriptions condemning insecurity, repeatedly shouting, “Release our children now,” and expressing concern over the fate of the abducted victims.
The protesters described the kidnapped children as the future of the nation and warned that persistent attacks on schools posed a serious threat to education and national development.
Speaking during the demonstration, some of the protest leaders urged the Federal Government, state governments, security agencies, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to collaborate in securing the safe return of the victims.
One of the organisers said, “Release our children now, urgent action is required to ensure the abducted pupils regain their freedom and return safely to their families.”
The protesters maintained that children should be protected and allowed to pursue their education without fear, noting that attacks on schools undermine public confidence in the country’s security architecture.
They also appealed for immediate intervention from relevant authorities, stating that every additional day in captivity could worsen the trauma experienced by the abducted children and their teachers.
DAILY POST had reported that the Osun State council of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, had earlier in the week embarked on a protest over the kidnapping of school pupils and teachers in Oyo State.
The union, which marched from Ataoja School of Science, Osogbo to the Osun State Secretariat, Abere, had demanded action from the Oyo State and Federal Governments and the immediate rescue of the kidnapped victims to their families.
