Oyo Schools Deserted as Teachers Begin Indefinite Strike Over Abducted Colleagues, Students

Public schools across Oyo State were thrown into confusion on Monday as teachers stayed away from classrooms in compliance with an indefinite strike declared by the Nigeria Union of Teachers over the abduction of teachers and students in the state.

Several primary and secondary schools in Ibadan and other parts of the state were left largely empty, with locked classrooms, stranded students and disrupted academic activities dominating the first day of the industrial action.

At Community High School, Ogungbade in Ibadan, classrooms remained shut while students who arrived for lessons were later seen leaving the school premises after discovering that teachers were absent.

The strike also affected the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), as some examination supervisors waited uncertainly for activities to begin amid the disruption.

The protest action follows growing anger over the continued captivity of teachers and pupils abducted on May 15 from Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esiele, L.A. Primary School, Ahoro-Esiele, and Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, all located in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The union officially directed public school teachers across the state to withdraw their services from Monday, June 1, until further notice.

In a statement signed by the union’s secretary, Olukayode Salami, the NUT expressed frustration over the prolonged captivity of the victims and uncertainty surrounding rescue efforts.

The union warned that fear and anxiety had spread among teachers and parents, with many families now reluctant to send their children to school due to worsening insecurity.

The development comes days after President Bola Tinubu approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards and the deployment of a specialised rescue team to intensify efforts aimed at securing the release of the abducted teachers and students.

Despite the Federal Government’s intervention, tension remains high across affected communities, while parents, education workers and residents continue demanding urgent action from security agencies.

The abduction crisis has once again raised serious concerns about the safety of schools in Nigeria, especially in rural communities increasingly targeted by kidnappers and armed groups.