The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) has called on the Oyo State councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to immediately declare a statewide strike and organize mass protests to demand the safe release of teachers and pupils abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its Oyo State Coordinator, Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye (Abbey Trotsky), the group argued that appeals and press statements alone would not secure the freedom of the victims, insisting that only sustained mass action could compel the authorities to act with the urgency required.
The CDWR described the abduction of teachers and pupils from the Ahoro-Esinle and Yawota communities as a direct attack on the working class, poor communities, and the right to education. According to the organization, the continued captivity of the victims highlights the worsening insecurity confronting schools and communities across the state.
The group urged labour unions and civil society organizations to convene an emergency meeting and declare an initial 48-hour statewide strike across all schools, accompanied by protests and demonstrations. It maintained that such actions should be escalated if the government fails to secure the immediate and unconditional release of those abducted.
CDWR also criticized the directive issued by the Oyo State NUT asking only teachers and students in Oriire Local Government Area to stay away from schools, describing the measure as inadequate and divisive. The organization argued that limiting the action to the affected area isolates the victims and creates a false sense of security elsewhere.
“As far as we are concerned, no school is safe if one school is unsafe,” the statement noted, stressing that a total shutdown of schools across Oyo State would demonstrate solidarity with the abducted teachers and pupils while increasing pressure on the government to act.
The organization commended the Teachers Action Group for organizing protest marches in Ibadan and other parts of the state over the plight of teachers and students held captive. It urged teachers across Oyo State to emulate the initiative and reject what it described as the passive response of the wider labour movement to the crisis.
CDWR pledged to mobilize its members and supporters in solidarity with any strike action, protest, or mass mobilization aimed at securing the release of the abducted victims. The group also called on parents, students, market associations, youth groups, community organizations, and residents of Oyo State to join a united campaign until all kidnapped teachers and pupils are safely reunited with their families.
The call comes amid growing concern over insecurity in schools and rural communities, with stakeholders demanding stronger measures to protect students, teachers, and residents from criminal attacks.
