_Oyo schools shut as NUT down tools over 16-day captivity of pupils, teachers. Military, Tinubu deploy forest guards, special forces, but educators say “words are not enough”_
ESIELE, Oyo State — For 16 days, the chalk has been silent in Esiele and Yawota. Classrooms at Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School sit empty, their gates still bearing the marks of May 15, 2026, when gunmen stormed three schools and abducted dozens of pupils and teachers. On Monday, June 1, 2026, the silence spread statewide as the Nigeria Union of Teachers ordered every public primary and secondary school teacher in Oyo to withdraw services until further notice.
The directive came from NUT’s national leadership. In a release signed by Oyo State chairman, Comrade Hassan Fatai, the union said the strike is “aimed at drawing the attention of government authorities to the urgent need to intensify efforts toward securing the safe release of the abductees without further delay.”
“Prolonged detention of the victims has created fear and anxiety among teachers, discouraged parents from sending their children to school, and heightened tension across communities,” the union argued. It urged teachers to remain law-abiding and stay safe at home, reaffirming solidarity with the captives and their families.
Lackadaisical attitude” fuels anger
To the teachers, government response has been too slow, too distant. While President Bola Tinubu on Sunday directed the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards for Oyo and ordered a specialized rescue team to step up operations, NUT members say the captivity “remains uncertain” and the fear on the ground has only deepened.
Parents stopped sending children to school days after the abductions. Now teachers have followed, turning classrooms into ghost rooms. The union’s message is blunt: lawful engagement will continue, but welfare and security of teachers and learners must come first.
Military moves in, promises “relentless posture”
The Defence Headquarters is pushing back against the perception of inaction. On Tuesday, Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, told journalists the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered the deployment of special forces and aerial surveillance assets to Oyo.
“The AFN views any threat to civilian peace as an intolerable affront to national sovereignty,” Onoja said, extending sympathy to families and residents. He assured that troops would “maintain a relentless posture until the perpetrators are brought to account and the region’s security is completely restored.”
The military’s move follows Tinubu’s directive for forest guards, part of fresh security measures targeting the thick forest belt around Oriire LGA that authorities believe the abductors are using as cover. The attack also claimed lives: mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was beheaded, a motorcyclist was killed, and a security operative died on an IED during initial rescue attempts.
State and federal leaders meet grieving families
On Monday, Governor Seyi Makinde met relatives of the kidnapped pupils and staff in Oriire. “Words alone could not ease their pain,” Makinde told them, but appealed for calm and cooperation, insisting his administration is working “around the clock” to secure their release.
A high-level federal delegation had visited Esiele and Yawota on May 31. Led by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, the team included NSA Nuhu Ribadu, Defence Minister Christopher Musa, IGP Olatunji Disu, Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe, and presidential spokesman Sunday Dare.
Gbajabiamila delivered Tinubu’s message: “Mr President shares your sorrow and pain… He has directed all security agencies to rescue all those abducted in the State and bring them back home safely.” He assured parents the operation would be intelligence-led and carefully coordinated, using both kinetic and non-kinetic measures.
On Saturday, Makinde returned to Ogbomoso to reassure residents. He appealed for patience and unity, urging them not to apportion blame to federal or state government but to back rescue efforts.
*Classrooms wait, communities hold breath*
Back in Ahoro-Esiele, families, community leaders and residents packed the meeting hall, listening for updates that have been slow to come. The NUT says it remains committed to protecting teachers and learners nationwide, but for now, its members will teach from home.
The strike has turned a local tragedy into a statewide shutdown. Government has deployed guards, special forces and drones. The union has withdrawn teachers. Between them, thousands of Oyo pupils wait for the sound of chalk on board again — and for dozens of their classmates and teachers to walk back through the school gate.
Until then, the menace of kidnapping has done what bullets alone could not: it has emptied the classrooms of Oyo.
