Protesters fume as FG yet to send delegation to Borno

…NUT, NLC stage protest over students, teachers abductions in Oyo, Borno

Members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers on Tuesday staged a protest over growing frustration in the North East over the recent abduction of pupils and other victims in Borno State.

The demonstration came a day after teachers protested in Oyo, where they demanded urgent action over the fate of the victims.

The protesters are marching through parts of the city carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Every Life Matters, Stop the Kidnappers,” “47 Abducted, Scared and Alone, “Stand Up! Speak Out,” We are not animals, ” and ” FG visit Borno over recent abduction”

Bako Monguno, the Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Borno State, and Yusuf Tom, the National Publicity Secretary of the Union, while leading the protest, called for immediate action to ensure the safety of schools across the state and the country.

According to the directive issued by the national leadership of the union, the strike is in protest against the continued captivity of abducted teachers and pupils, whose rescue and safe release, according to the Union, “remain uncertain.”

“Education is part of human rights. But in recent times, the reverse is the case, which is why we are organising this rally to make our voices heard so that our learners at Mussa Primary and Secondary School in Askira Uba will be released unconditionally.”Tom said.

It argued that the 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 in the state.

The union urged all teachers to comply fully with the directive, remain law-abiding, and stay safe in their homes throughout the strike.

“𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”

Yusuf Tom, National Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, has called on the federal government to secure the children’s safe return and restore public confidence in education.

On his part, Mustapha Usman, the Treasurer of the association in the state, said the government is not fair in its treatment of victims of abduction.

“We are also not happy that the government is not prioritising the welfare of Mussa community children who were abducted, and this is why we are making our grievances known today”, he said.

Also, the North East Civil Society Network has launched a scathing critique of the Federal Government, accusing the administration of displaying “regional bias” in its response to the alarming surge in child abductions across the country.

In a press statement issued, Ahmed Shehu, the network’s zonal Chairman, lamented the silence of the Presidency regarding the fate of hundreds of children abducted in Borno State, contrasting it with the swift response triggered in other regions.

The statement highlights a staggering tally of violence: the abduction of 416 women and children in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State three months ago, and the more recent kidnapping of 42 school children from Musa Primary School in Askira Uba, Borno

”We are angry. And we have questions,” Shehu stated. “Does that mean some Nigerian children are more precious than others? Does that mean children from the North East are less Nigerian than those from the South?”

The group questioned the rationale behind the Federal Government’s selective deployment of security resources, specifically noting that Borno is the Vice President’s home state.

“When the FG can dispatch a full security team to Oyo State to ensure rescue before they leave, why can’t they do the same for Borno State? How many times has this happened in the North? How many times have we seen this level of response?” the statement queried.

The network expressed disappointment in the silence of elected representatives and political opposition. While the Borno State Government was commended for sending a delegation to console the affected families in Askira Uba, the group emphasised that “consolation without rescue is not enough.”

“Our children are not bargaining chips. They are not statistics,” the statement concluded. “Every child—in Borno, in Oyo, in Zamfara—deserves the full force of the Nigerian state.”

As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not issued a formal response to the demands.