Teachers in Lagos State on Tuesday organised a rally to demand the release of pupils, students and teachers abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, expressing concern that schools had become unsafe for teaching and learning.
The demonstration, organised by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), followed a directive from the union’s national leadership for simultaneous protests across all 36 states in response to the increasing cases of kidnappings targeting schools and education workers.
Hundreds of teachers carrying banners and placards marched from Ikeja to the Lagos State House of Assembly, where they were received by Speaker Mudasiru Obasa.
Speaking during the rally, Obasa identified state policing as a sustainable solution to Nigeria’s security problems and called on all stakeholders to support measures aimed at improving safety across the country.
He said, “We are all concerned about the situation, particularly the one that happened in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. Here at the Lagos State House of Assembly, we have been doing our best to ensure security. That is why this House has, several times, been at the forefront of state police.
“Recently, we read about the position of President Bola Tinubu on state police. This further confirms that it is both necessary and important for this country to have state police. It is not about protesting alone; we all need to come together to find lasting solutions.”
The Speaker stressed that ensuring security should not be the sole responsibility of government, urging citizens to provide useful information and ideas that could assist security agencies.
He also criticised some social media content creators, accusing them of taking advantage of tragic events to attract online attention.
“You cannot make a profit out of some people’s misfortune. What we should be doing is looking for lasting solutions and rescuing the teachers and pupils. Everybody can contribute; it is not about the government alone,” he added.
Obasa appealed to parents and teachers to remain calm, assuring them that authorities were actively working to secure the release of those abducted.
“I want to assure you that the President and his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, are concerned about this matter. This is not about the Federal Government alone; we also have state and local governments. Those other levels of government get allocations and should be concerned about the security of their states,” he said.
The Speaker added that Lagos State had continued to strengthen its security framework through legislation, pointing to the establishment of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, which he said inspired the Amotekun security network adopted by South-West states.
“We call on all the state governors, council chairmen and citizens to come together for us to do something to protect the lives of our people,” he said.
Earlier, Lagos State NUT Chairman, Akintoye Hassan, explained that the protest was not solely in reaction to the recent Oyo kidnappings but also reflected longstanding concerns over attacks on schools and education workers nationwide.
According to him, teachers had faced insecurity and intimidation for years, citing incidents such as the Chibok and Dapchi school abductions.
“Our effort is not even about the recent Oyo incident. It dates back to 2014 when we had the Chibok and Dapchi incidents. Teachers of Nigeria not only teach knowledge; we teach values. Part of the values we teach are resilience, endurance and tolerance,” he said.
Hassan urged Nigerians to stop politicising insecurity and instead recognise it as a collective challenge affecting all sectors of society.
“This banditry has no respect for status, religion or ethnicity. It is affecting every sector of society. Let us stop trading blame.
“Let us change the orientation and direction of the discussion so that we stop blaming the government alone. Society members also have their own share. Many people have been arrested by security agents as informants to these groups. Can we put that blame on the government alone?” he asked.
He also raised concerns about the level of security in public schools, arguing that government institutions and the residences of senior public officials enjoyed stronger protection than schools attended by ordinary citizens.
“For you to know that we can never be pleased, when we were about to enter the premises of the Lagos State House of Assembly, security personnel accosted us to ensure our presence would not be inimical to the premises.
“Is that happening in schools? Is it happening in our hospitals? Why is it that the place where we have our big men is protected? Places like the House of Assembly, National Assembly, Aso Rock and Government Houses are well secured. It is obvious that our society is not protected enough, especially when it affects the common people,” he said.
Hassan added that the national leadership of the NUT would assess the outcome of the nationwide demonstrations before deciding on the union’s next course of action.
