The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has called for the immediate and unconditional rescue of students and teachers abducted from Esiele and Yawota communities in Oriire local government council of Oyo state.
The demand was made on Tuesday by the President of NANS, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, who led a delegation of student leaders and allied organizations to Oyo state in solidarity with the victims and their families.
The delegation comprised officials from the NANS National Headquarters, zonal leadership, Joint Campus Councils (JCCs), and representatives of sister student bodies, including the National Association of University Students (NAUS), National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), National Association of Colleges of Education Students (NANCES), and the National Female Students Association of Nigeria (NFSAN).
The student leaders were also joined by the Oyo State chapters of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Addressing journalists after meeting with Governor Seyi Makinde, Akinteye described the abduction as a national tragedy that has heightened concerns over the security of educational institutions across the country.
He said the delegation visited Oyo State to express solidarity with the victims, commiserate with their families, and press for urgent action to secure their release.
“As the collective voice of Nigerian students, we insist that no student or teacher should remain in captivity. Their safe and immediate return must be treated as a matter of utmost priority,” he said.
The NANS president noted that the abduction had generated widespread anxiety among students nationwide and underscored the need for stronger measures to safeguard schools and rural communities.
He commended Governor Makinde for meeting with the families of the victims and for demonstrating empathy and leadership during the crisis.
According to him, the unfortunate incident should not be politicized, stressing that the focus should remain on rescuing the abducted students and teachers.
NANS presented a number of recommendations to the state government, including the immediate reinforcement of Amotekun security operations, improved community-based intelligence gathering, engagement of vetted local volunteers, security audits of vulnerable communities, deployment of technology-driven security measures, and the establishment of student and school security initiatives.
The association also advocated for the creation of state police, arguing that the latest incident further highlights the need for constitutional reforms that would grant states greater control over their security architecture and improve response times to security threats.
Akinteye reiterated the commitment of the student body to continue advocating for the safe return of the victims.
“We shall not relent in our quest to ensure the immediate and unconditional rescue of the abducted students and teachers. We share in their pain because an injury to one is an injury to all,” he said.
The abduction of the students and teachers from Esiele and Yawota communities has continued to generate concern among stakeholders, with growing calls for intensified efforts by security agencies to secure their release and strengthen the protection of schools across the country.