Teachers across Nigeria on Tuesday staged coordinated protests to demand stronger protection for schools and the immediate release of abducted students and educators, following a recent wave of attacks on learning institutions. The demonstrations, organised by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), took place in several states, including Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Sokoto, Anambra, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, and the Federal Capital Territory.
The protests were sparked by the abduction of more than 80 students and teachers in Borno and Oyo states in May. In Borno, suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area on May 14, kidnapping over 40 children, including toddlers, and reportedly using them as human shields while escaping.
On the same day, armed men stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School in Ahoro-Esiele, Oyo State, abducting pupils and teachers. Two of the kidnapped teachers were later killed by their captors.
The incidents have renewed concerns over the safety of schools more than a decade after the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls' abduction, which drew global attention to insecurity in educational institutions.
Although the federal government introduced the Safe Schools Initiative following the Chibok tragedy, schools across the country continue to face threats from insurgents and kidnappers.
Addressing protesters in Abuja, NUT National President, Audu Titus Amba, called for the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted teachers and students, stressing that persistent attacks on schools pose a grave threat to the nation's future.
“An attack on teachers is an attack on education, and an attack on education is an attack on the future of Nigeria,” he said.
Amba noted that many of the victims had remained in captivity for more than two weeks and said the killing of two abducted teachers in Oyo highlighted the urgency of securing the freedom of those still being held.
He also criticised the Safe Schools Initiative, arguing that it has fallen short of its objective despite being established to protect educational institutions after the Chibok abduction. According to him, attacks on schools have continued in several parts of the country despite the measures introduced under the programme.
The union urged the federal government to reassess the initiative, address identified gaps, and strengthen security measures around schools. It also appealed to Nigerians to support efforts aimed at ensuring safe and secure learning environments for both teachers and students.
Timeline of School Abduction from 2023 to 2026
Nigeria has continued to witness attacks on schools and the abduction of students in recent years, with several incidents recorded across different states between 2023 and 2026.
January 2023, gunmen kidnapped six pupils from the Local Government Education Authority Primary School in Alwaza, located in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. Two of the children were rescued a day after the incident, while the remaining four regained their freedom after spending about two weeks in captivity.
Another wave of school abductions occurred in September 2023. In Zamfara State, approximately 24 students were reportedly taken from their hostel in Sabon Gida by armed attackers. Around the same period, a separate mass kidnapping involving about 20 students was reported in Kano State.
Nigeria's education sector continued to face security threats between 2023 and 2026, with a series of attacks on schools resulting in the abduction of students, teachers and school personnel across several states.
In October 2023, armed attackers stormed a student lodge affiliated with Nasarawa State University in Keffi, Nasarawa State, abducting at least four students during the raid on October 10.
The trend persisted in January 2024 when gunmen attacked a school bus belonging to Apostolic Faith Secondary School in Ekiti State on January 30. Several pupils, a teacher and the driver were abducted. While the students and teacher were rescued four days later, the driver was subsequently found dead.
A major incident occurred on March 8, 2024, when gunmen invaded Government Secondary School, Kuriga, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, kidnapping 287 students and killing a local vigilante. Although the Kaduna State Government later announced the release of the victims, it did not clarify whether every abducted student had been accounted for. The following day, another 15 students were seized from a Tsangaya school in Gidan Bakuso, Sokoto State. They regained their freedom after two weeks following military intervention.
In November 2025, suspected gunmen attacked Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, abducting 25 female students. The school's vice-principal, Hassan Makuku, was killed during the assault, while a security guard suffered gunshot wounds.
Days later, on November 21, a larger-scale attack targeted St. Mary's Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State. The raid resulted in the abduction of 315 people, including 303 students and 12 teachers, making it one of the most significant school kidnappings recorded during the period.
The attacks continued into 2026. In April, five students of Gateway Polytechnic, Ogun State, were abducted by armed men but were later rescued by police operatives. Later that month, on April 26, gunmen invaded an unregistered orphanage and school facility in Zariagi, Lokoja, Kogi State, kidnapping pupils and the proprietor's wife. Security forces subsequently rescued all the victims.
In May 2026, militants attacked a primary school in Chibok, Borno State, between May 13 and 14, abducting 42 children. The following day, armed men struck three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota area of Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, kidnapping several students and staff members.
Among those abducted was the vice-principal of Community Grammar School, Alamu Folawe, while an assistant headmaster, Adesiyan, was killed during the assault.
The incidents highlight the persistent vulnerability of schools to attacks by armed groups and kidnappers, despite ongoing security measures aimed at protecting educational institutions across the country.
The incidents underscore the persistent security challenges facing educational institutions across the country, despite ongoing efforts by authorities to safeguard schools and protect students from criminal attacks.
Safe School Initiative
The Safe Schools Initiative was introduced in 2014 following the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents. The programme was conceived as a collaborative effort involving the federal government, private sector stakeholders, the Global Business Coalition for Education, and Gordon Brown, who was then the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education.
Its primary objective is to improve the security of schools through enhanced infrastructure, stronger community-based protection systems, and more efficient emergency response frameworks.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) serves as the principal agency responsible for implementing the initiative. As part of its mandate, the Corps oversees security operations under the programme and manages the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) from its Abuja headquarters in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education.
In February 2026, the federal government reinforced its commitment to securing educational institutions by launching the Smart School Protection Strategy. The initiative, unveiled during a strategic engagement between the Federal Ministry of Education and the NSCDC, is designed to strengthen security measures in schools across the country and prevent future attacks on students and learning facilities.
Speaking at the event, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, described the meeting as “a landmark step” and reaffirmed the agency’s dedication to protecting critical national assets, including schools.
He further disclosed that a nationwide survey revealed that over 60,000 of Nigeria’s more than 81,000 schools lack basic security infrastructure such as perimeter fencing. According to him, the findings prompted the creation of specialised units, including the Safe Schools Protection Squad and a trained Female Squad, which he said have collectively “prevented over 110 security threats across the country.”
Efforts to obtain the NSCDC’s response regarding the persistent attacks on schools were unsuccessful. Multiple attempts to reach the Corps’ Public Relations Officer, Mr Babawale Afolabi, through phone calls, text messages, and WhatsApp messages yielded no response. Although he indicated that he would provide comments, none had been received by the time this report was filed.
Likewise, a former commandant of the Safe Schools Initiative, Mr Emmanuel Ocheja, advised that inquiries be directed to his successor, ACG Umanah A. Samuel. However, attempts to obtain the current commandant’s contact information were unsuccessful.
Updates Across States
Members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Borno State took to the streets and marched to the Government House to demand the unconditional release of pupils and students abducted from Mussa Primary and Secondary School in Askira Uba, as well as other learners still being held captive across the country.
Speaking during the protest, the National Publicity Secretary of the NUT, Yusuf Tom, stressed the need for urgent government intervention to secure the victims’ freedom.
“Children deserve protection. We want the government to intensify efforts in rescuing these children, teachers and colleagues in Borno and other states,” he said.
The union’s treasurer in Borno State, Mustapha Usman, criticised what he described as the government's unequal treatment of kidnapping victims.
In Kano State, the Deputy Chairman of the NUT, Sunusi Dayyabu, called for stronger measures to safeguard schools, insisting that teachers should be able to carry out their duties without fear.
“Our schools should be secured so that our teachers can go and work freely without any fear,” he said.
Teachers in Kwara State also expressed concern over worsening insecurity, declaring that no school in the country could currently be regarded as safe.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the NUT in the state, Mike Modesty, said the abduction in Oyo State reflected a disturbing trend of attacks on educational institutions nationwide.
“A similar incident happened in Borno. Only last week, a teacher was kidnapped in Zamfara and was eventually killed even after ransom was paid. How do we continue like this? The solution right now is that government must rise up to the occasion,” he said.
He further suggested that a nationwide shutdown of schools could become an option if authorities failed to address the security crisis.
In Taraba State, NUT Chairman Nathan Solomon described the recurring attacks on schools as deeply troubling, particularly the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State.
“Schools are meant to be centres of learning and character formation, not places of fear and insecurity. We are demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted students and their teachers,” he said.
The Commissioner for Vocational and Secondary Education, Dr Augustina Godwin, condemned the abductions in Oyo and Borno States, describing them as an assault on education and the future of Nigerian children.
Meanwhile, families of the abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State rejected relief materials and cash donations offered by government representatives, insisting that their priority was the safe return of their loved ones.
The Baale of Yawota in Oriire Local Government Area, Emmanuel Alade, said residents turned down rice and money brought by officials during a sympathy visit.
“The women who are government officials on Governor Seyi Makinde’s team came to console us. They brought rice and money, but the parents said they did not want it. They said what they wanted was for their children to be released,” he said.
At a protest held at the Oyo State Governor’s Office, the state NUT Chairman, Hassan Fatai, declared that teachers would remain away from classrooms until the abducted victims regained their freedom.
“Teachers are now living in fear. We can no longer go to classes. We demand improved security architecture so that our students and teachers are no longer exposed to such attacks,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, Governor Seyi Makinde urged Nigerians to unite against insecurity rather than engage in political blame games.
“This is a time of national distress, not a time to trade blame or play politics. It is time for all Nigerians to come together and deal decisively with the perpetrators,” he said.
The second day of nationwide protests over the abduction of 46 pupils and teachers in Oyo State witnessed dramatic scenes in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where demonstrators resisted attempts to stop them from entering the state secretariat at Oke-Mosan.
The protest drew participation from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the NUT, civil society organisations and residents. Tensions rose when security operatives locked the gates leading to the state secretariat and governor’s office to prevent access.
A brief confrontation followed as protesters pushed against the gates while security personnel attempted to hold them back. The demonstrators eventually gained entry and continued their march while chanting solidarity songs.
Speaking at the protest, the National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Yinka Folarin, called on security agencies to intensify efforts to protect lives.
Representing NUT National President Titus Amba, the union’s National Vice President, Titilope Adebanjo, said teachers across the country were increasingly fearful and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to treat the matter with urgency.
The Ogun State Chairman of the NLC, Hameed Benco, warned that the protest was merely a preliminary action and that more drastic measures could follow if the government failed to act.
In Lagos State, NUT members staged a protest at the State House of Assembly, demanding the release of the abducted pupils and other kidnap victims nationwide.
The teachers issued a one-week ultimatum to the federal government to take decisive steps to address insecurity.
Lagos State NUT Chairman, Akintoye Mujeeb, said educators could no longer remain silent amid the growing wave of violence.
“Enough is enough. How many people will these bandits continue to kill? They have been killing us, and now we are saying enough is enough,” he said.
Addressing the protesters, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, assured them that their concerns would be conveyed to the relevant authorities.
In Bayelsa State, NUT Chairman Richman Otobo insisted that educators should not be exposed to life-threatening conditions.
“Teachers are not slaves,” he said, adding that their lives should not be “put at stake.”
He also expressed concern over reports that some victims were being maltreated and appealed for urgent intervention.
An emotional moment occurred when Comrade Akada Emomotimi, Chairman of the NUT’s Sagbama Local Government branch, broke down in tears while appealing for the victims’ release.
“Every day we are crying. They should release these children for us. They should release our teachers. Without teachers there is no nation,” he said.
In Anambra State, NUT members urged both federal and state governments to move beyond assurances and take concrete action to secure the release of abducted teachers and students, stressing that schools must remain safe spaces for learning.
The state NUT chairman, Chika Chukwudozie, lamented the prolonged captivity of the victims.
“For over two weeks now, the innocent teachers and learners are still in captivity under inhumane conditions, leaving their families to live in fear and anguish,” he said.
House Of Reps Pushes For Security Reform
The House of Representatives on Tuesday called for the urgent rescue of at least 72 pupils and teachers abducted in separate incidents in Oyo and Borno states, while urging the federal government to strengthen security around schools and pursue comprehensive measures to address the country’s worsening insecurity.
The resolutions were adopted following two motions of urgent public importance presented during plenary by lawmakers Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala and Midala Usman Balami.
In his motion, Alao-Akala expressed concern over the security situation in Oyo State and stressed the need for sustained efforts to secure the release of the abducted victims. While commending ongoing rescue operations and the federal government’s approval of 1,000 forest guards for the affected area, he advocated the establishment of a permanent military forward operating base in Oriire Local Government Area to strengthen and sustain security operations.
Also speaking, Balami drew the attention of the House to the abduction of 42 schoolchildren from Mussa Ward in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State. He warned that recurring attacks on schools and surrounding communities continue to undermine access to education and expose learners and teachers to significant risks.
The lawmakers urged relevant security agencies to intensify rescue efforts and called for stronger protective measures to safeguard educational institutions across the country from further attacks.