Abduction: Group Rejects Alleged Backdoor Plan To Suspend Ongoing Teachers’ Strike

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) has rejected what it described as a “backdoor plan” to suspend the ongoing teachers’ strike in Oyo State, which was triggered by the abduction of pupils and teachers in Orire Local Government Area.

The group said it stands in full solidarity with striking public school teachers, who embarked on an indefinite strike following the incident, and warned against any attempt to weaken the industrial action without resolving the underlying security concerns.

In a statement issued in Ibadan on Monday, the State Coordinator of CDWR, Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye, said the group sympathises with the education community over the killing of one teacher and one student, while others reportedly remain in captivity.

“We share the grief and anguish of the entire education community over the reported killing of one teacher and one student, while others remain in captivity,” the statement read.

The group commended teachers for taking industrial action, saying the strike was a legitimate response aimed at securing the safe release of abducted colleagues and students.

It called on the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo State Wing, to convene an emergency congress or mass meeting of teachers across the state to democratically review the ongoing strike.

According to CDWR, such a congress would provide a platform to assess the progress, challenges and direction of the strike, ensuring that it remains focused on securing the release of abducted victims.

The group also urged teachers to reject any move by government or stakeholders to reopen schools through what it described as “backdoor arrangements” while abducted persons remain in captivity.

CDWR warned that suspending the strike without clear commitments from authorities would amount to abandoning affected colleagues and students.

Instead, it proposed that the strike be restructured into coordinated weekly 24-hour actions supported by mass protests across all local government areas in the state.

The organisation further called on the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to declare a 48-hour nationwide strike and protest over rising insecurity and abductions across the country.

It argued that broader solidarity actions would increase pressure on government to prioritise the safe rescue of abducted teachers and students.

CDWR maintained that any decision to suspend the strike must emerge from democratic consultation among rank-and-file teachers rather than directives imposed by union leadership or external stakeholders.

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The group also rejected claims that the strike had been ineffective, insisting that it had already compelled government attention and visits to affected communities.

CDWR urged parents to support teachers and avoid division, encouraging them to work through Parents-Teachers Associations (PTAs) and community platforms to demand urgent government action.

It stressed that the safety of pupils and teachers must be guaranteed before any reopening of schools, warning against rushing learners back into unsafe environments.

“The lives of our children and teachers must not be treated as expendable,” the statement added.

The group reiterated that sustained collective action involving teachers, parents and workers remained necessary to ensure accountability and improve school security across Oyo State.