Members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo State Chapter, on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest in Benin City, demanding urgent government action to secure the release of teachers and pupils abducted in Oyo and Borno states.
The teachers, who converged at the Teachers’ House in Ogida Quarters before marching through major streets, expressed outrage over what they described as the government’s silence and slow response to the plight of the victims, who have reportedly spent more than two weeks in captivity.
Carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as “Teachers’ Lives Matter”, “The Classroom Must Not Become a Battlefield”, and “Bring Back Our Teachers in Oyo”, the protesters called for improved security around schools and stronger protection for educators across the country.
Addressing journalists during the demonstration, Edo State NUT Chairman, Comrade Lucky Imaruagheru, condemned the kidnapping and alleged beheading of a teacher in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State, describing the incident as barbaric and unacceptable.
Imaruagheru said the union could no longer remain silent while teachers and pupils continue to suffer at the hands of kidnappers and criminal elements.
“We saw the kidnapping and beheading of a teacher in Oyo State, and the government has kept mute on the plight of these children, and we are not going to stay aloof. We cannot allow ourselves to be used as sacrificial lambs while we give our energy, our time and our resources to make Nigeria a better country,” he said.
The labour leader lamented what he termed official indifference to the worsening insecurity affecting schools and communities across the country.
“But our leaders are keeping mute. It is not acceptable to us. We teachers cannot accept that. They should rise up to their responsibilities,” he added.
The protest drew scores of teachers from different parts of Edo State, who urged federal and state authorities to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted victims and ensure that schools remain safe spaces for learning.
The demonstrators also called for decisive measures to tackle the growing menace of kidnapping, warning that continued attacks on teachers and pupils pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s education sector.
