Members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in Borno State on Tuesday staged protests at the Government House and major streets to condemn the increasing abduction of school children across the state.
The demonstration followed a directive from the national leadership of the NUT, contained in a circular dated May 29, 2026, and signed by the union's president, Audu Amba, and secretary, Clinton Ikpitibo. The circular mandated all state chapters to hold solidarity rallies to highlight the worsening insecurity affecting schools.
Leading the protest, the Secretary of the NUT Borno State chapter, Bako Monguno, and the National Publicity Secretary of the union, Yusuf Tom, called for immediate action to ensure the safety of schools in the state and the country.
Tom stated that the union is using the rally to demand urgent government action against the rising cases of school abductions. "Education is a human right. But in recent times, the reverse is the case, which is why we are organising this rally to make our voices heard so that our learners at Mussa Primary and Secondary School in Askira Uba will be released unconditionally. Children deserve protection. We want the government to intensify efforts in rescuing these children, teachers, and colleagues in Borno and other states," he said.
The Treasurer of the association in the state, Mustapha Usman, expressed dissatisfaction with the government's treatment of abduction victims. "We are also not happy that the government is not prioritising the welfare of the Mussa community children that were abducted, and this is why we are making our grievances known today," he said.
A teacher, Abdullahi Saidu, called for immediate action to rescue every student in captivity. "No student should remain in captivity. The government should rescue all of them," he said.
Another member of the association, who spoke with our correspondent, expressed displeasure over the incessant killings in the country. The member, who identified himself simply as Ibrahim, said, "For how long will this continue? You abduct pupils, teachers, travellers, old people, and others. Nowhere is safe again. We need change."
