By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
Teachers in Lagos on Tuesday shut down parts of Allen Junction, Ikeja, as they staged a solidarity protest against bandit attacks on schools in Oyo State and other parts of Nigeria.
Members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Lagos State chapter, marched through major roads, starting from the Ikeja Local Government Headquarters, through Awolowo Road, to Alausa, the Governor’s Office, to demand urgent action on school safety.
The peaceful rally was in response to the frequent attacks and kidnappings of pupils, students, and teachers across the country, with specific reference to the May 15 abduction of 39 pupils and 7 teachers in Oriire LGA, Oyo State.
“Our schools are for learning, not mourning”
Protesters carried placards with messages such as “Our Schools are for Learning, Not Mourning” and “End Kidnapping in Schools Now”. They chanted solidarity songs as they moved through Ikeja, drawing attention from commuters and residents.
NUT officials said the protest was to register teachers’ concern over the safety of abducted students and colleagues in Oyo State and to push for stronger security measures in schools nationwide.
The union is part of a nationwide wave of solidarity actions by NUT following the directive to withdraw services in Oyo State until the abducted teachers and pupils are released.
For now, Lagos public schools remained open, but teachers said they would join further actions if the federal and state governments fail to address insecurity in schools.
