The Nigeria Union of Teachers has ordered public primary and secondary school teachers in Oyo State to stay home indefinitely, and directed all state chapters to hold nationwide solidarity rallies on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, to demand the release of teachers and students kidnapped in Oriire LGA.
The directive, in a national circular dated May 29, 2026 and signed by National President Audu Amba and Secretary General Clinton Ikpitibo, instructed state wings to march to government houses across the country.
Oyo Schools Shut as Strike Begins
Academic activities stopped in Ibadan and other LGAs on Monday as teachers complied with the indefinite withdrawal of service. Only SS3 students writing WASSCE were allowed into classrooms. NUT said schools will remain closed until its abducted members and students are freed.
What Triggered the Action
NUT linked the protest to the May 15, 2026 abduction of teachers and students from Baptist Nursery and Primary School Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A Primary School Esiele in Oriire LGA.
The union says 47 teachers and students were taken. Other reports put the figure at 39 students and 7 teachers, including Mrs. Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School Esiele. NUT also confirmed two teachers were killed.
Calling the victims’ condition “horrifying, inhumane and nightmarish,” the union urged the Federal Government, Oyo State Government and security agencies to intensify rescue efforts and secure their immediate, unconditional release.
Celebrity Voices Amplify Pressure
The escalation has drawn attention online, with some linking the timing to renewed calls from celebrities and activists over the weekend. Social media commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, VDM, was among those who amplified demands for government action on the Oyo abductions.
NUT officials say the May 29 circular and strike directive preceded the celebrity posts. But observers note that public pressure from high-profile voices has coincided with the move to nationwide rallies. Similar celebrity-backed campaigns helped push “Bring Back Our Girls” into global focus after the Chibok 2014 abductions.
A Familiar Playbook for NUT
This is not NUT’s first time using strikes and rallies over mass school abductions.
In 2021, NUT Kaduna ordered teachers to stay home after bandits kidnapped teachers and students from Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, while the national body threatened nationwide action. That same year, NUT directed withdrawals in parts of Niger State after gunmen abducted students and staff from Government Science College Kagara, and called for nationwide solidarity protests.
Between 2014 and 2018, successive NUT presidents repeatedly declared that “schools are not safe,” demanded the release of Chibok and Dapchi girls, and organised press conferences and rallies in state capitals.
Under its constitution, NUT is mandated to protect teachers’ welfare and safety. The union’s response to mass abductions has consistently followed three steps: a state-level strike or withdrawal of service, a national circular for solidarity rallies, and sustained demands for government action and safer schools.
What Past Actions Have Achieved
History shows NUT’s “strike + rally” approach produces clear outcomes.
Immediate response follows every action. Government attention and public sympathy rise, with officials meeting union leaders faster. Reports on Monday said President Tinubu had ordered “1,000 forces” to Oyo after NUT’s directive.
Short-term gains also follow. Pressure from NUT, parents, CSOs and media often speeds up victims’ release. Most students taken from Kaduna’s Forestry College were freed in batches between March and May 2021, while Kagara students and staff were released after 10 days.
Long-term impact has been mixed. NUT’s campaigns helped push the “Safe School Declaration” and budget lines for fencing, CCTV and guards after 2014 and 2021. But uneven implementation has not stopped new abductions, which the union says explains why this action is nationwide instead of limited to Oyo.
Officials say Tuesday’s rallies follow that pattern, but with broader scope as all state wings have been directed to participate.
