Tinubu finally speaks on Oyo school abductions as outrage grows

Nigeria’s federal government has finally mounted a coordinated public response to the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo and Borno states after weeks of outrage over what many Nigerians described as silence and alarming indifference amid worsening insecurity across the country.

On Wednesday and Thursday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the military high command and the Federal Ministry of Education all issued statements addressing the attacks, particularly the mass abduction in Oyo State that has triggered national anger afer a mathematics teacher was beheaded in captivity.

The official reactions came nearly two weeks after armed men abducted dozens of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15. Victims were taken from Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele; Primary School, Esiele; and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.

One of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was killed by the kidnappers, with footage linked to the killing circulating online and intensifying public fury.

For days, Nigerians have accused the Tinubu administration of failing to respond with the urgency expected from a government facing one of the country’s most disturbing school abduction cases in recent years. Many Nigerians pointed to the president’s silence and the absence of visible high-level intervention as evidence of how normalised mass kidnappings had become.

Tinubu first publicly addressed the incidents on Tuesday in a Children’s Day statement, where he pledged intensified rescue efforts for abducted children in Oyo and Borno State.

“As we mark this special day, which coincides with Eid-el-Kabir, some Nigerian children and their teachers in Oyo and Borno should be with their families, but are being held captive by criminals,” the president said.

“Some parents cannot join today’s celebration because their hearts are set on one prayer: ‘Bring our children home.’”

The president said he had directed security agencies to intensify “intelligence-driven” rescue operations and ordered stronger protection measures for schools in high-risk communities through vulnerability mapping, coordination with state governments, and community-based early warning systems.

He also said rescued children would receive long-term support, including medical care, counselling and reintegration assistance.

“A child who returns from trauma must return to care, medical attention, counselling, education and dignity,” Tinubu said.

On the same day, the military announced the deployment of Special Forces and aerial surveillance assets to Oyo State following the kidnappings.

According to Major General Michael Onoja, director of defence media operations, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, ordered “comprehensive security reinforcement” across the affected areas using specialised ground troops and aerial surveillance platforms.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria view any threat to civilian peace as an intolerable affront to national sovereignty,” Onoja said during a briefing on military operations nationwide.

He said operations were already yielding “valuable intelligence” and promised troops would maintain “a relentless posture until the perpetrators are brought to account.”

Then on Thursday, the Federal Ministry of Education formally condemned the abductions, describing the incidents as “tragic and unacceptable.”

In a statement signed by ministry spokesperson Folasade Boriowo, Education Minister Maruf Tunji Alausa said attacks on schools amounted to attacks on Nigeria’s future.

“No child should face fear or violence in pursuit of education. Government remains committed to securing schools and protecting learners nationwide,” Alausa said.

The ministry also pointed to plans to strengthen school surveillance systems, emergency response mechanisms and implementation of the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools.

But despite the statements, public frustration remains high.

Many Nigerians argue that the government’s response has appeared reactive rather than decisive, coming only after sustained outrage online and widespread criticism over the handling of the Oyo tragedy.

The anger reflects broader fatigue over Nigeria’s spiralling insecurity crisis, where kidnappings for ransom, attacks on villages, highway abductions and insurgent violence have continued across large parts of the country despite repeated government assurances.

Schoolchildren have remained among the most vulnerable targets. Over the past decade, Nigeria has witnessed repeated mass kidnappings involving pupils and students, particularly in northern states where armed groups have attacked schools for ransom, propaganda and intimidation.

Although authorities frequently announce rescue operations and new security frameworks, communities across the country continue to complain of weak protection, delayed responses and little accountability after attacks occur.

The Oyo abduction has become especially symbolic because of its brutality and because it occurred in the South-West, a region once considered relatively insulated from the scale of school kidnappings seen in northern Nigeria.