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The Oyo State Government has appealed to members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) to reopen public schools and allow students to return to learning.
The state’s Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, made the appeal in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The NUT had directed teachers in government-owned schools to withdraw their services following the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026.
More than 46 pupils and teachers were kidnapped from three communities during the attack. More than a month after the incident, the victims remain in captivity.
The union has insisted that schools will remain closed until the state government takes concrete steps to improve security.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the NUT Secretary, Olukayode Salami, said the decision to withdraw teachers from classrooms was prompted by worsening insecurity, including the killing of two teachers and the continued captivity of the abducted victims.
Oyelade, however, said the prolonged closure of schools could have far-reaching consequences for the state. He assured teachers that the government was taking strategic measures to secure the release of those still being held captive.
“While the reasons for the withdrawal of students from school by the NUT are understandable, the collateral implications, both social and economic, are raising unintended concerns and should equally be considered by the NUT,” he said.
