Rescue Oyo Schoolchildren Within 24 Hours or Step Down, HURIWA Tells Tinubu

ABUJA, NIGERIA – The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to secure the release of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State within 24 hours or consider resigning from office over what it described as a failure of the nation’s security system . In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the rights group expressed outrage that more than two weeks after the abduction, the victims were still being held captive by their abductors . HURIWA said the continued captivity of the teachers and pupils represents a serious indictment of Nigeria’s security architecture and raises questions about the government’s capacity to protect citizens. “The horrifying images of schoolchildren, including toddlers reportedly trapped in the wilderness under harsh conditions, should have triggered a national emergency. Instead, what Nigerians have witnessed is a troubling pattern of official assurances without corresponding results,” the group said . The association accused the Federal Government of failing to demonstrate sufficient urgency in responding to the abduction and demanded the immediate rescue of the victims. “HURIWA therefore calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to ensure the immediate and safe rescue of the abducted teachers and pupils before 2:00 p.m. today,” the statement said .

The group also drew a contrast between the President’s public celebration of the recent Sallah festivities and the plight of the abducted children. “It is timely to remind the president that the Oyo State children held in bondage as hostages of heartless terrorists and killers are our own children and our own kinsmen and women as citizens of Nigeria and as members of the community of humans. They must be released forthwith or there should be consequences of failure on the part of the security chiefs and the president of Nigeria,” HURIWA stated . According to the organisation, the prolonged captivity of the victims undermines the constitutional obligation of government to safeguard lives and property. Citing Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, HURIWA said: “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. That constitutional obligation is not optional. It is the very foundation upon which governmental legitimacy rests”.

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The group further expressed support for parents, teachers and civil society organisations that have staged protests in Ibadan demanding urgent government intervention. “HURIWA stands firmly with the courageous teachers, parents, civil society organisations and concerned citizens who have taken to the streets of Ibadan to demand urgent action. Their protest is not merely justified; it is a moral necessity in the face of an unacceptable national tragedy,” the statement added . The association also criticised the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and student organisations for what it described as a lack of vigorous nationwide advocacy over the abduction . It urged labour groups, student bodies, professional associations, faith-based organisations and community leaders to intensify peaceful pressure on authorities until the victims are safely released. “The tears of the parents, the fears of the teachers, and the suffering of the kidnapped children demand urgent action—not routine statements,” HURIWA said . The rights group stressed that Nigeria must not become desensitised to mass abductions, warning that attacks on schoolchildren constitute an assault on education and the future of the country. “The lives of these innocent children and teachers are priceless. Nigeria must bring them home. Now,” the statement concluded .

The abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when heavily armed gunmen on motorcycles attacked three schools in the Ahoro-Esinle and Yawota areas of Oriire Local Government Area: Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele; Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; and L.A. Primary School, Alawusa . Security sources confirmed that dozens of pupils and several teachers were whisked away during the attack. According to reports, a total of seven teachers and 39 students were abducted . During the attack, an assistant headmaster was killed, and a commercial motorcyclist was also shot dead . A mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was later beheaded in captivity. A disturbing video that surfaced days later allegedly showed how the bandits tied Oyedokun to a tree before killing him, sparking outrage and renewed fears over the safety of the remaining hostages .

More than two weeks after the incident, the victims remain in captivity despite ongoing search-and-rescue operations . The abducted principal of Community High School, Esiele, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, has released multiple distress videos from captivity pleading for government intervention. In a new viral video, the visibly distressed school principal appealed to President Tinubu and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to negotiate with the abductors instead of using force . “Please I am here again to beg the government. President Tinubu and the governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde to please help us and dialogue with this people. They should not use force. The force they have used yesterday has caused us so much. It has added to our problems. In fact, one of us has been picked that they are going to kill him because government tried to help us by force,” she said . In another video, Alamu warned that the kidnappers were becoming increasingly impatient. “The terrorists are already getting impatient. The teachers and the children are still under the sun and the rain, while we are in the cold. The government should not use force. All they need to do is call and negotiate with them. We are begging you, don’t let them waste our lives,” she said.

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One of the abducted teachers, Mary Akanbi, who is nursing a baby, also appeared in a video pleading for help. Clutching her young child, Akanbi begged Governor Makinde to negotiate with the abductors for their release. “We are pleading with Governor Seyi Makinde, please help us, negotiate with these people. Whatever they want, please give to them. We are all here; we the teachers and the students,” she said . The abductors have reportedly planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) around the Old Oyo National Park area where the victims are believed to be held, complicating rescue efforts. Governor Makinde confirmed that some operatives involved in the rescue mission sustained injuries after encountering IEDs allegedly planted by the kidnappers .

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has also raised serious concerns over the continued captivity of the victims. In a follow-up statement issued on Saturday, the union expressed profound sadness and growing alarm at the worsening situation, particularly following the circulation of another disturbing video allegedly released by the abductors . “Days after our initial public outcry, the situation has become even more distressing with the emergence of another disturbing video showing our colleagues in traumatic conditions, pleading for their unconditional release from the den of their abductors,” the statement noted . The NUT described the incident as a gross violation of human dignity and a direct attack on the nation’s education system, insisting that no child or teacher should ever be subjected to such horrifying experiences .

Meanwhile, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State stated on Friday that President Tinubu is “working assiduously” to ensure the safe return of the abducted children. “Be assured that our President and Commander-in-Chief, Bola Tinubu, is working assiduously to ensure that he brings all these children back home safely to their families,” Abiodun said while speaking at the 2026 Ojude Oba Festival in Ijebu-Ode . The President had earlier, on May 18, condemned the attack as “barbaric” and disclosed that he had directed the Inspector-General of Police to personally lead a tech-driven rescue operation . The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has announced the deployment of additional detectives from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, to collaborate with the joint security team, while the Defence Headquarters said troops had made contact with the abductors and were working to ensure the rescue of the victims .

The 24-hour ultimatum is the latest in a series of mounting pressures on the Tinubu administration over the worsening security situation. On Thursday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also charged President Tinubu to step down, alleging a lack of capacity to handle the nation’s security challenges . “President Tinubu has no moral or political latitude to stay in Aso Villa a day longer if tens of hundreds of abducted citizens languish in captivity across the country,” Atiku’s media office stated . He accused the APC-led administration of failing to take decisive action against terrorists and criminal groups operating freely in different parts of the country . As of the time of this report, the victims remain in captivity, and it is unclear whether the government has initiated direct negotiations with the abductors . Families of the abducted pupils and teachers continue to wait in anguish, while the clock ticks on HURIWA’s 24-hour ultimatum.

Rescue Oyo Schoolchildren Within 24 Hours or Step Down, HURIWA Tells Tinubu