Kogi teachers protest school abductions, seek stronger security

Teachers in Kogi State staged a peaceful protest in Lokoja on Tuesday, condemning the escalating abductions and attacks on educational institutions across Nigeria. The demonstration, following a national directive from the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), aimed to highlight the growing insecurity plaguing schools.

Comrade Abayomi Ayoola, the state chairman of the NUT, expressed deep concern over the recurring attacks, describing the situation as traumatic for the education sector. He specifically mentioned the recent abductions of teachers and pupils in Oyo State and the kidnapping of 48 schoolchildren in Borno State. Ayoola urged the Federal Government to enhance its security apparatus through improved intelligence, border surveillance, and international cooperation to track and prosecute criminal elements.

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We, as members of the union, are appealing to the Federal Government to rejig the security architecture of the country. The issue of kidnappings on a daily basis is traumatic and saddening. It has cast a shadow of grief over the entire nation.

Ayoola also stressed the importance of addressing unemployment, noting that joblessness drives many young people toward criminal activities. He called on religious leaders and organizations to intensify campaigns promoting peace, tolerance, love, and compassion. "We, as members of the union, are appealing to the Federal Government to rejig the security architecture of the country. The issue of kidnappings on a daily basis is traumatic and saddening. It has cast a shadow of grief over the entire nation," he stated.

The NUT chairman warned that persistent attacks on schools could discourage parents from enrolling their children, thereby undermining educational access. "The country needs to retrace its steps to avoid discouraging parents from sending their children to school. More jobs should be created, and clerics must continue to harp on kindness and peaceful coexistence," he added. Ayoola acknowledged the difficult choices families face regarding ransom payments, emphasizing that kidnapping has become a profitable criminal enterprise and requires decisive government action.

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The country needs to retrace its steps to avoid discouraging parents from sending their children to school. More jobs should be created, and clerics must continue to harp on kindness and peaceful coexistence.