By Odeh Favour Adiya
Despite a heavy downpour, members of the Take-It-Back Movement, alongside parents, teachers and schoolchildren, on Monday staged a protest in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, over the worsening security situation in the state and the continued captivity of abducted pupils and teachers.
The protesters marched to the Oyo State Government House, demanding urgent intervention from authorities following the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers by gunmen in communities within Oriire Local Government Area.
The demonstration drew significant attention both within and outside the state, with videos and photographs of protesters marching through the rain circulating widely on social media.
The protest began at Mokola Roundabout, where participants gathered before embarking on a procession through major roads in the state capital. They later converged on the Government House, accompanied by schoolchildren who joined the demonstration in solidarity with their abducted classmates and teachers.
Emotions ran high as parents, particularly mothers, openly wept and appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde to intensify efforts to secure the release of the victims.
Some of the mothers lamented the conditions their children were allegedly enduring in captivity, saying many were taken away without adequate clothing and other necessities.
Undeterred by the adverse weather conditions, the demonstrators chanted solidarity songs and displayed placards bearing messages calling for improved security and immediate action from the government.
They described the protest as a necessary response to draw attention to the plight of affected families and communities.
Several placards carried inscriptions such as: “Security for All, Not for a Few,” “End Kidnapping in Oyo State Now,” “Safer Roads and Communities Now,” and “Protect Farmers, Traders and Students.”
Many protesters also echoed the sentiment: “We sent them to school and now there is trouble,” underscoring the anguish felt by parents whose children remain unaccounted for.
The protest comes amid growing public outrage following the recent invasion of schools in Oriire Local Government Area by heavily armed attackers, who abducted teachers and pupils before fleeing into nearby forests.
Stakeholders have continued to call on the federal and state governments, as well as security agencies, to intensify rescue efforts, strengthen security around schools and restore public confidence in the safety of educational institutions across the state.
