Abduction Crisis: Oyo Govt Urges NUT to Suspend School Shutdown

The Oyo State Government has appealed to the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) to suspend the ongoing closure of public schools and allow students return to classrooms, assuring that efforts are underway to address security concerns that prompted the action.

The appeal was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, following the State Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday.

The NUT had directed teachers in public schools across the state to withdraw their services after the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026.

A total of 46 people, including 39 pupils and seven teachers from three schools in the area, were kidnapped during the attack. One teacher, Joel Adesiyan, was killed on the day of the incident, while another victim, Mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, was later murdered in captivity.

The union maintained that schools would remain closed until adequate security measures were implemented to guarantee the safety of teachers and students.

Reacting to the development, the state government acknowledged the concerns raised by the teachers but urged the union to consider the broader consequences of the prolonged shutdown.

“While the reasons for the withdrawal of students from school by the NUT are understandable, the collateral implications, both social and economic, are raising unintended concerns and should equally be considered,” Oyelade stated.

He assured residents that the government was taking strategic steps to resolve the kidnapping crisis and improve security in affected communities.

The commissioner also announced the release of N8.77bn as the first tranche of funding for the procurement of teaching and learning materials for primary and junior secondary schools across the state.

According to him, the allocation forms part of a larger N23.01bn education intervention programme supported by the Universal Basic Education Commission and the World Bank.

Oyelade disclosed that the state also approved a supplementary budget, increasing the 2026 appropriation from N892.09bn to N1.10tn to accommodate ongoing projects and development priorities.

He added that the council received a briefing on the implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area programmes in Oyo State, noting that the state had continued to attract recognition for its progress in trade, investment, industrialisation and agribusiness development under Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.