Activist Hails The Release Of Oyo School Victims Demands Stronger Action On Insecurity.

Activist Hails Release of Oyo School Victims, Demands Stronger Action on InsecurityIBADAN — Human rights activist Francis Nwapa has welcomed the release of pupils and teachers abducted from three schools in Oyo State after spending 55 days in captivity, describing their freedom as a moment of relief but also a stark reminder of Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.The victims were kidnapped on May 15 from Community High School, L.A. Primary School (Esiele), and Baptist Nursery and Primary School (Yawota) in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.In a statement on Saturday, Nwapa said the victims’ safe return had brought relief to their families, classmates, colleagues and Nigerians who had followed the incident with concern.

While celebrating their release, he argued that the prolonged captivity of the pupils and teachers reflected what he described as a “monumental failure of governance” and the inability of authorities at all levels to fulfil their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.Nwapa called on the Oyo State Government and the Federal Government to immediately provide comprehensive medical care, nutritional support and long-term psychological rehabilitation for the rescued victims to aid their recovery from the trauma they endured.According to him, the children and their teachers became innocent victims simply because they went to school, stressing that no Nigerian should be subjected to such an ordeal.

The activist also paid tribute to those who lost their lives during the abduction, including a teacher reportedly shot while attempting to protect his students and mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, who was allegedly killed while in captivity.Describing their deaths as a painful reminder of the human cost of insecurity, Nwapa urged the authorities to ensure that those responsible for the attack, including kidnappers, terrorists and anyone found to have financed or harboured criminal groups, are arrested and prosecuted.

He further appealed to the government not to overlook other victims of mass abductions across the country, particularly teachers and students kidnapped in Borno State on the same day as the Oyo school victims, who remain in captivity.Nwapa called for intelligence-driven security strategies to safeguard schools and communities nationwide and criticised policies that rehabilitate violent offenders without first ensuring accountability for their crimes.He also urged Nigerians to set aside ethnic, religious and political differences and collectively demand improved security and accountable governance, stressing that every child deserves to attend school without fear.