Members of the Take-It-Back (TIB) Movement on Monday staged a protest in Ibadan, Oyo State, over the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in the Ogbomoso axis, calling on authorities to urgently address the rising wave of insecurity in the state.
The protesters gathered at Mokola Roundabout under the “Bring Back Our Pupils and Teachers” campaign, demanding the immediate release of all kidnapped victims and stronger security measures to prevent further attacks on schools and communities.
The protest followed the 15 May attack in Oriire Local Government Area, where armed men on motorcycles stormed three schools and abducted pupils and teachers. The affected schools include Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School in Ahoro-Esiele, with victims taken into nearby forests.
Governor Seyi Makinde had earlier confirmed that 39 pupils and seven teachers were kidnapped in the incident. He also disclosed that one teacher was killed, while members of a joint rescue team made up of soldiers, police officers and local vigilantes were injured after reportedly encountering explosives planted by the attackers.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Oyo State Coordinator of the movement, Dimeji Salako, said the protest was driven by public anger over repeated kidnappings, killings and growing fear in affected communities.
The group also dismissed calls by the governor for residents to pray instead of protest, insisting that insecurity requires concrete action from government rather than spiritual responses.
“We will not pray away insecurity. Prayer is not a substitute for governance. Prayer is not a security strategy. Prayer cannot replace intelligence gathering, effective policing, accountability, and decisive action against criminal elements,” the group said.
TIB maintained that Nigerians have a constitutional right to demand accountability when government fails to ensure their safety, adding that citizens cannot be expected to remain silent while kidnappers continue to terrorise communities across the state.
“The people of Oyo State have prayed. They have exercised patience. They have waited, yet the menace of kidnapping and insecurity continues to cast a dark shadow over our communities,” the statement added.
