I NUT threatens national strike amid protests in Kano, Lagos, Jos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, others
BY IGHO OYOYO, JAMES KWEN HENRY TYOHEMBA, SAMSON ELIJAH, FRANCIS OKOYE, ; FEMI OYEWESO, Abeokuta; ANGELA NKWO-AKPOLU, GEORGE OKOJIE; ADEBAYO WAHEED, JOSHUA DADA, NNAMDI MBAWIKE, LONGTONG YAKUBU, ACHOR ABIMAJE, PATRICK OCHOGA, IBRAHIM OBANSA, RICHARD NDOMA, and ATTAH ANTHONY
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if urgent action is not taken to secure the release of teachers and students abducted from schools in Oyo and Borno states.
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The union made the declaration on Tuesday during a nationwide solidarity rally held across the country to demand the immediate and unconditional release of teachers and learners currently being held captive by kidnappers and terrorists.
NUT national president, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, who addressed journalists at the union's national headquarters in Abuja, expressed deep concern over worsening insecurity in schools, describing the continued abduction of teachers and students as a direct attack on education and the future of the nation.
According to him, seven teachers and 39 pupils and students were kidnapped from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, while more than 40 pupils were abducted from Mussa Primary and Secondary Schools in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State on the same day.
Amba lamented that more than two weeks after the incidents, the victims remained in captivity under harsh conditions while their families continued to suffer anxiety and uncertainty.
"It is heartbreaking to note that two of our colleagues have been gruesomely murdered in cold blood by the bandits in Oyo State. The fate of the remaining abductees remains uncertain," he said.
The NUT president disclosed that the union had already directed all primary and secondary school teachers in Oyo State to withdraw their services indefinitely from June 1 until the abducted teachers and students are rescued.
He warned that the union would not hesitate to extend the industrial action nationwide if the situation persists.
"If it becomes obvious and necessary that we ask teachers all over the country to down tools, it is not going to be difficult. We have the responsibility to speak for our teachers whenever they are not secure in their places of duty," Amba said.
The union leader stressed that teachers should not become targets of criminal attacks while carrying out their professional responsibilities.
"These teachers were attacked and kidnapped in the course of their duties. If people are not safe in their places of work, where then can they be safe? Schools should be safe havens for learning, not crime scenes," he added.
Amba called for the immediate, unconditional and safe release of all teachers and learners held captive across the country.
He declared that attacks on schools undermine quality education delivery and threaten Nigeria's future development.
"An attack on teachers is an attack on education, and an attack on education is an attack on the future of Nigeria," he said.
CAN wants state of emergency declared
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Federal Government to declare a State of Emergency on Security as escalating killings, kidnappings, terrorist attacks and the destruction of communities continue to threaten national stability and public safety across the country.
The call formed part of a communiqué issued at the end of the National Church Denominational Leaders Summit 2026, organised by CAN under the theme, "The State of the Nation and the Way Forward."
The communiqué, signed by CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, was released on Tuesday following the summit in Abuja.
As part of measures to honour victims of violence, CAN declared June 12, 2026, as the beginning of a three-day national mourning period, culminating in June 14, 2026, which it designated as "Black Sunday" to be observed in churches nationwide in solidarity with victims of insecurity and their families.
The summit brought together leaders of major Christian denominations and blocs across the country, including representatives of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Christian Council of Nigeria, Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Organisation of African Instituted Churches, TEKAN/ECWA and other member bodies of CAN. Also in attendance were church administrators, legal practitioners, security experts and Christian leaders drawn from Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.
In the communiqué, church leaders expressed deep concern over the worsening security situation in the country, citing persistent attacks on communities, churches, schools and other vulnerable populations.
FCT NUT joins nationwide protest
Meanwhile, members of the NUT Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Wing joined the nationwide protest, marching through major streets of Abuja with placards bearing inscriptions such as: "Teachers Deserve Security, Not Fear," "Education Cannot Thrive Under Terror," "Secure Our Schools, Secure Our Future," and "No Teacher Should Die in Service to Humanity."
The union urged federal and state governments, as well as security agencies, to act swiftly and decisively to rescue all abducted teachers and students and ensure adequate protection for schools across the country.
The teachers also renewed calls for urgent reforms to school security architecture and stronger measures to guarantee the safety of teachers and learners nationwide.
The protest converged on Eagle Square, where teachers marched peacefully with placards and banners, chanting solidarity songs and demanding immediate government intervention to secure the release of the abducted victims and prevent further attacks on schools.
Speaking during the rally, Chairman of the NUT FCT Wing, Comrade Abdullahi Shafa, said the protest was organised in line with directives from the union's national headquarters.
He said the decision to hold a nationwide rally followed a series of attacks on schools, particularly the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, which he described as deeply distressing and unacceptable.
Borno Teachers Picket Government House Over Pupils' Abduction
Teachers in Borno State, under the umbrella of the NUT, on Tuesday picketed the Government House in Maiduguri to protest the abduction of students, particularly the 48 pupils and students kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in Mussa, Askira-Uba Local Government Area.
Carrying placards with messages such as "Education Is Not a Crime" and "Bring Back Our Students," the teachers demanded urgent government action to rescue the abducted children and secure schools.
They said repeated attacks had left teachers traumatised and pupils out of school.
The protest followed a directive from the national leadership of the NUT contained in a circular dated May 29, 2026, and signed by the union's president, Audu Amba, and secretary, Clinton Ikpitibo.
The Secretary of the NUT in Borno State, Bako Monguno, and the union's National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Tom, led the protest and called for immediate action to ensure the safety of schools across the state and country.
Tom said the rally was aimed at demanding urgent government action over rising cases of abductions in schools.
"Education is a fundamental human right. But in recent times, the reverse has been the case. This is why we are organising this rally, so our voices can be heard and the learners abducted from Mussa Primary and Secondary School in Askira-Uba can be released unconditionally," he said.
The union's state treasurer, Mustapha Usman, accused the government of not giving sufficient attention to the plight of the abducted children.
"We are not happy that the government is not prioritising the welfare of the Mussa community children who were abducted, and this is why we are making our grievances known today," he said.
A teacher, Abdullahi Saidu, also called for immediate action.
"No student should remain in captivity. The government should rescue all of them," he said.
Another member, who identified himself simply as Ibrahim, decried the persistent insecurity.
"For how long will this continue? Pupils, teachers, travellers, old people and others are being abducted. Nowhere is safe again. We need change," he said.
Protesters Occupy South-West States, Demand Release of Teachers, Students
Peaceful protests over the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State continued on Tuesday across Oyo, Lagos, Ogun and other states, with demonstrators demanding the unconditional release of the victims.
The protesters, who threatened to occupy major roads, government offices and official residences if urgent action is not taken, described the growing wave of kidnappings across the country as alarming and unacceptable.
Oyo
In Oyo State, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo State chapter, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) staged a protest over the continued captivity of the abducted teachers and pupils.
Speaking during the protest at the Governor's Office in Ibadan, NANS National President, Comrade Babatunde Akinteye Afeez, said members of the association from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had converged on Oyo State to demand the victims' release.
He described the abductors as "monsters" and urged Nigerians to unite against what he called a common enemy.
Also speaking, the Oyo State Chairman of the NUT, Comrade Hassan Fatai, said teachers across the state were demanding justice and urgent action.
"We are here this morning to sympathise with our people over this dastardly act by terrorists. Government should fast-track the release of those abducted," he said.
"Teachers are now living in fear. We can no longer go to classrooms without anxiety. We demand a stronger security architecture so that our students and teachers are no longer exposed to such attacks."
The state NLC Chairman, Comrade Kayode Martins, lamented that kidnappers were targeting not only teachers and pupils but Nigerians generally.
He warned that organised labour would not allow a repeat of incidents such as the Chibok abduction, stressing that the primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives and property.
Addressing the protesters, Governor Seyi Makinde said the situation called for unity rather than blame or political division.
"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.
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Lagos
In Lagos State, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) also staged a protest rally to demand the release of abducted teachers and learners across the country, particularly those kidnapped in Oyo State.
The rally commenced at the Under Bridge area in Ikeja and proceeded to the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa.
Led by the Lagos State NUT Chairman, Comrade Hassan Akintoye, the protesters condemned the rising wave of abductions targeting schools nationwide.
Recalling the Chibok and Dapchi school abductions, Akintoye said the recent incident in Oyo State, in which a teacher was reportedly killed and pupils abducted, had heightened fears among teachers.
The union's Secretary, Comrade Ayetoba Gbenga, said the protest was aimed at drawing attention to the plight of teachers and pupils still in captivity and honouring educators who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Responding to the protesters, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, assured teachers that the legislature remained committed to supporting initiatives aimed at improving security, including advocacy for state policing.
Ogun
In Ogun State, members of the NLC, NUT, civil society organisations and other residents joined the nationwide protest against the abduction of more than 40 pupils, students and teachers in Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Carrying banners and placards with various inscriptions, the protesters marched through major streets in Abeokuta, demanding the immediate release of the victims and stronger security measures to protect schools.
Some of the placards read: "Release Our Teachers and Pupils Unconditionally", "Stop Attacks on Schools", "Government Must Protect Lives", and "Unchain Our Children, Unchain Nigeria's Future".
NUT National President, Comrade Titus Amba, represented by the union's National Vice-President, Comrade Titilope Adebanjo, said teachers now lived in fear and urged President Bola Tinubu to treat the matter as a national emergency.
"Education is one of the few enduring legacies we have as a nation. It is unfortunate that insecurity now threatens its very foundation. How can teachers concentrate in classrooms when they fear for their safety?" he asked.
Ogun State NLC Chairman, Hameed Benco, described the protest as a warning to government, saying labour unions would consider further action if the victims were not rescued.
The Ogun State NUT Chairman, Comrade Sewakanu Oladipupo, called for a comprehensive strengthening of the country's security architecture to prevent further attacks on schools.
