The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has condemned the continued captivity of abducted students and teachers in Oyo and Borno states, describing the incidents as a direct attack on education and the future of Nigerian children.
The incidents have continued to generate concern among parents, activists, and education stakeholders, with many calling for urgent and decisive action to end attacks on schools and restore confidence in Nigeria’s education system.
The newly elected NANS President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, made the condemnation in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, where he called on the Federal Government to urgently strengthen security in schools across the country and prioritise the welfare and safety of Nigerian students.
Afeez urged security agencies and relevant authorities to intensify rescue operations and ensure the immediate release of all victims while putting in place stronger protection measures for schools against attacks by bandits and terrorists.
He also stressed the need for policies and programmes that would improve the welfare and learning conditions of students in tertiary institutions nationwide.
“The continuous hostage of the kidnapped students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State is unacceptable,” he said.
“The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) will storm Oyo State with all its structures in the coming days to demand the immediate release of our students and teachers.”
The statement comes amid growing nationwide outrage over the abduction of pupils, students, and teachers in Oyo and Borno states on May 15, 2026.
In Oyo State, gunmen attacked Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting seven teachers and 39 students. A teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was killed during the attack, while a two-year-old toddler, Christianah Akanbi, was among those kidnapped.
On the same day, Boko Haram insurgents invaded Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State and abducted 42 pupils, including toddlers.
Fourteen days after the incidents, the victims remain in captivity, with no direct communication from the abductors in the Borno case, heightening fears among parents, residents, and education stakeholders.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) also condemned the attacks, describing them as barbaric and inhuman. In a statement jointly signed by the National President of the union, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, and Secretary General, Dr Clinton Ikpitibo, the union said schools, which ought to be safe spaces for learning, had increasingly become targets of violent attacks.
The union expressed pain over the killing of a teacher during the Oyo attack, noting that the victim was shot while wearing his NUT attire, a symbol of his dedication to the teaching profession.
The NUT further lamented reports that one of the abducted teachers was allegedly killed while in captivity.
The union warned that teachers might be forced to withdraw their services if attacks on schools continued unabated.
“For the umpteenth time, the NUT wishes to state unequivocally that teachers would have no other option than to down tools if these wanton attacks on schools continue unabated,” the statement read.
“Enough is enough. The time to act is NOW. Not until we all perish.”
Tribune
