The Centre Against Injustice and Domestic Violence (CAIDOV) has condemned the abduction of school children and the killing of a teacher in Oyo State, urging Governor Seyi Makinde to show greater empathy and take urgent action to address insecurity in schools.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Executive Director, Gbenga Soloki, the organisation described the incident as a disturbing sign of worsening insecurity and a failure to adequately protect students and teachers across the state.
CAIDOV lamented that innocent children were forcefully taken from their classrooms while a teacher lost his life trying to protect pupils during the attack.
“Once again, a school has been attacked. Children torn from their classrooms. A teacher killed for trying to protect his pupils. And yet, life continues as if these innocent lives meant nothing. As if the cries of mothers and the blood of a teacher are just another news cycle,” Soloki stated.
The organisation said the incident has created fear among parents and disrupted learning in affected communities, warning that schools can no longer function effectively under such conditions.
According to CAIDOV, the situation reflects a serious leadership and security crisis, stressing that governance should not continue as though Oyo State is safe while parents and students remain traumatised.
The group outlined five demands to the Oyo State Government, including a direct address by Governor Makinde to reassure residents, a coordinated rescue operation for the abducted children, and the immediate strengthening of security in schools through the Safe School Initiative.
CAIDOV also called for a thorough investigation into the killing of the teacher, prosecution of those responsible, and proper support for the bereaved family.
The organisation further urged the government to convene an emergency town hall meeting involving parents, teachers, students and education stakeholders to discuss practical solutions to insecurity in schools.
“History will not remember roads or slogans. History will ask: When Oyo children were kidnapped, what did Seyi Makinde do? When a teacher died protecting students, did the governor cry with his people or move on?” Soloki asked.
CAIDOV expressed solidarity with the affected families and traumatised students, insisting that the safety and welfare of children must be treated as a priority.
“Oyo children deserve better. They deserve it now,” the statement added.