By Ahmed Yusuf, Abuja
National News – Residents of Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Monday staged another round of protests, demanding the release of more than 40 pupils and teachers abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
The victims, who were kidnapped on May 15, 2026, during a coordinated attack on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, have remained in captivity for over three weeks.
The latest protest came as the abducted Principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, appeared in a viral video dismissing reports that the kidnappers were demanding the imposition of Sharia law in Nigeria.
In the emotional appeal, Alamu urged Nigerians not to believe what she described as false claims capable of complicating efforts to secure their freedom.
According to her, the abductors have neither demanded money nor insisted on the adoption of Sharia law, contrary to reports circulating in some sections of the media.
She claimed that the only condition presented by the kidnappers was the release of some of their detained members, appealing to the government to engage in negotiations.
Alamu also pleaded with Nigerians to share her message widely, alleging that political interests should not be allowed to endanger the lives of those being held captive.
“We are begging Nigerians not to allow politics to be played with our lives. The information that they are demanding Sharia law or money is not true. All they want is the release of some of their people,” she said in the video.
Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters blocked major roads in Ogbomoso, causing traffic disruptions as they called on both the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government to intensify efforts to rescue the victims.
One of the protesters, Kehinde Dahunsi, questioned why the authorities had not achieved the same level of success recorded in the recent rescue of the sister and twin children of a former Minister of Power, who regained their freedom days after they were abducted.
He appealed to the government to deploy similar strategies to secure the release of the schoolchildren and teachers, who have remained in captivity since May.
The Nigerian Union of Teachers had earlier directed its members across Oyo State to embark on an indefinite strike pending the rescue of the abducted victims, while solidarity protests have also been held in different parts of the country.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to issue an official response to the claims made by the abducted principal in the viral video.
