Residents of Ogun State have staged a protest over the worsening insecurity in the country and the recent kidnapping of 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

The protesters, comprising youths and nursing mothers, took to major streets in Abeokuta on Monday with carried placards of various inscriptions such as “The crime they committed is they went to school, release our children and teachers”, ” Stop brutality, kidnapping, banditry” , ” Stop insecurity, Nigeria is falling apart” , “Our future is crying for help!!! help!!! help!!!, “Let us believe in our country again”, “Bring back our school children”,  “End terrorism in Nigeria”, among others.

It would be recalled that on May 16, 2026, gunmen invaded three schools in Oriire Local Government Area near Ogbomoso — Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School in Ahoro-Esinele, as well as Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota.

However, one of the abducted teachers from Community Grammar School, Mr. Michael Oyedokun, a Mathematics teacher, was reportedly killed by the terrorists.

Speaking on behalf of the demonstrators at the Panseke skating ground in Abeokuta, a pastor identified as Juwon Owolabi, lamented that residents can no longer sleep well as they do not know who will be the next victim.
Owolabi insisted that the country is at a tipping point where no one, including the rich or poor is safe, asserting that even businesses cannot go on.

“This is a time where the parents and everyone is grieving. We cannot continue like this, we sleep with anxiety and panic and we trust that the government have the capacity and what it takes to end this insecurity now.

“We know that if it doesn’t end now, no one would be save at the end. We stand with the parents, the families of those who are in the den of these terrorists.

We are at a tipping point. We are at a point that if we don’t do anything about this insecurity, all of us would be victims of it. It doesn’t matter who you are, whether you are a civil servant, whether you are rich, poor, you are not safe.

“Nobody is safe. It’s time we all come out, there is power in our numbers. The government must know we are united.  Don’t wait till 2027 election, you don’t even have a choice. The choices are made for you already, so this is the time for us to speak out peacefully,” Owolabi said.

He begged the Nigerian government to deploy all necessary instruments to ensure that the abducted children are released and the security of communities is guaranteed.

Also speaking, an entrepreneur, identified as Ada Comfort, disclosed that although her children are not part of the victims, she is having nightmares over the welfare of the children.

Comfort argued that insecurity has also affected her business, stating that the least the government can do is to protect the lives and properties of its residents.

For someone like me, I’m into Asoke and I travel to Iseyin and Ilorin. For the past week I cannot travel, I can’t do anything . I have orders coming in but can’t work.

“I know that every mother whose children are in the captivity of the bandit are not happy, my kids are not there but I can’t sleep, I daydream about those children and can’t imagine how terrible the mothers of those kids are feeling at the moment.

The least the government can do for us as citizens is to provide security, we are begging them,” she said.

Our correspondent observed a nursing mother and her child during the protest and when spoken to, Precious Jonathan disclosed that she joined the protests because her children and other children out there deserve a better Nigeria.

She said, “My baby is one year and a month old. I’m out because of my child and my unborn children. I want a better Nigeria for all of us. The government should please remember us and  give us a better Nigeria.

“The other day it was raining heavily and I stood to close the windows and wrap my baby up. And I immediately remembered the children in the bush,” she said crying.

Meanwhile, Ayodeji Ojo, a businessman in the state, asserted that the kids are innocent, urging the security agencies to double their efforts.

“Please we need action and not just negotiation, if we keep talking slowly they will keep coming  back for us and we don’t know who is next.

“If we keep folding our hands, your family and mine can be the next person,” he added.

The demonstrators demanded that all schools should be closed down untill the security challenges are well handled and the kidnapped children are released.

They added that terrorists and kidnappers can never change, urging the government to take strict actions to save the children.

Our correspondent observed a strong police presence at the protest ground and when asked, one of the security operatives stated that they were on ground to ensure that the protest goes smoothly and is not hijacked by hoodlums.