RismadarVoice Reporters
June 2, 2026
The Rivers State Government has assured members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Rivers State chapter, that teachers and pupils abducted in Oyo and Borno states will be rescued and reunited with their families soon.
The assurance was given as Rivers teachers joined their counterparts across the 36 states of the federation in a nationwide protest against the killing of a teacher and the abduction of pupils and school personnel in parts of the country.
Addressing the protesting teachers at Government House, Port Harcourt, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwagor, said the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was working tirelessly to secure the release of the abducted victims.
He assured the teachers that efforts were ongoing to ensure the safe return of those still being held by their captors.
Governor Fubara also reiterated the commitment of the Rivers State Government to the safety and security of schools across the state, noting that measures were being strengthened to prevent similar incidents.
According to him, the state government is collaborating with relevant security agencies and stakeholders to ensure a safe learning environment for teachers and pupils.
Speaking during the protest, the Rivers State Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Basier Sukwo, explained that the demonstration was in compliance with a directive from the union’s national headquarters and was held simultaneously across the country.
He said the protest was aimed at expressing the union’s outrage over the killing of a teacher and the abduction of pupils and education workers by suspected kidnappers in Oyo State.
Sukwo listed the union’s demands, including the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted teachers and pupils still in captivity, as well as improved security measures in schools nationwide.
The protesters displayed placards bearing various inscriptions, including: “Stop the Kidnapping of Teachers and Students,” “Government Should Rise to Its Security Responsibilities,” “Teachers Deserve Security, Not Fear,” “Nigeria, Our Blackboards Are Turning Into Graveyards,” “Tinubu, Bring Back Our Children,” and “Save Our Schools, Save Our Nation.”
The protest highlighted growing concerns over the safety of educational institutions and renewed calls for stronger action to protect teachers, students and schools across Nigeria.
