Hundreds of teachers carrying placards and banners marched from Ikeja to the Lagos State House of Assembly,
Teachers in Lagos State on Tuesday staged a rally to demand the rescue of pupils, students and teachers abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, decrying that schools were not secure and safe for teaching and learning.
The rally, organised by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, was held in compliance with a directive from the union’s national leadership for simultaneous protests across the 36 states of the federation over the growing wave of kidnappings targeting schools and education workers.
Hundreds of teachers carrying placards and banners marched from Ikeja to the Lagos State House of Assembly, where they were received by the Speaker, Mr Mudasiru Obasa.
Addressing the protesters, Obasa described state policing as a lasting solution to the country’s security challenges, saying that all stakeholders must support efforts to improve safety nationwide.
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 said security should not be left to the government alone, urging citizens to contribute ideas and intelligence that could assist security agencies.
Obasa particularly criticised some social media content creators, accusing them of exploiting tragic incidents to gain online followers.
“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.
He also appealed to parents and teachers to remain calm, assuring them that the government was actively involved in efforts to secure the release of the abducted victims.
“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 noted that Lagos had continued to strengthen its security architecture through legislation, citing the law establishing the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, which he said inspired the Amotekun security outfit adopted across 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, the Lagos State Chairman of the NUT, Mr Akintoye Hassan, said the protest was not only about the recent Oyo abductions but also a response to years of attacks on schools and education workers across the country.
According to him, teachers have endured intimidation and insecurity for years, dating back to 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 view it as a collective challenge affecting every sector 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.
Hassan also questioned the level of security in public schools, arguing that government institutions and the residences of top public officials received better protection than the schools attended by ordinary Nigerians.
“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.
He added that the national leadership of the NUT would review the outcome of the nationwide rallies and determine the union’s next line of action.
