NANS, TAKE IT BACK MOVEMENT CLASH OVER OYO SCHOOLCHILDREN ABDUCTION, TRADE ACCUSATIONS AT TOWN HALL
Read Time:2 Minute, 34 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Take It Back Movement (TIB) on Thursday exchanged accusations over the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, reigniting tensions from a previous protest that turned confrontational in Ibadan.
The disagreement unfolded during a Town Hall Series organised by News Central at the Ibadan Civic Centre, Agodi, under the theme, “Oyo At A Crossroads: Security, Safety and The Future.”
The debate centred on a protest held in response to the abduction of pupils and teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Assistant General Secretary of NANS Joint Campus Council in Oyo State, Damilare Olayemi, rejected allegations by the Take It Back Movement that students were sponsored by the government to disrupt the protest.
According to Olayemi, NANS members were travelling to Oriire when they encountered protesters around the Bodija area of Ibadan.
He alleged that members of the movement blocked the road and attacked students with stones after being asked to allow traffic to pass, leading to a confrontation.
Olayemi maintained that NANS independently protested at the Governor’s Office alongside labour unions and other stakeholders and insisted that the association was not acting on behalf of the government.
He added that while students expected more action from the authorities, they believed the government was making efforts to secure the release of the abductees and address the security situation.
However, a representative of the Take It Back Movement, Femi Adeyeye, offered a different account, insisting that the group’s demonstration was peaceful until NANS members arrived in large numbers.
Adeyeye alleged that the students were mobilised to counter the protest and accused the government of using divide-and-rule tactics to weaken public demonstrations demanding accountability over the abductions.
He argued that insecurity remains a political issue rooted in years of policy failures, including poor education, unemployment, and inadequate social welfare programmes.
According to him, elected leaders bear primary responsibility for tackling the growing insecurity crisis and should be held accountable if they fail to protect citizens.
Adeyeye further warned against what he described as the commercialization of insecurity, alleging that criminal networks, negotiators, suppliers, and other actors have turned kidnapping into a thriving economic enterprise.
He called for greater transparency from government officials and insisted that authorities must provide regular updates to citizens during security emergencies.
Also speaking at the event, the Oyo State President of the National Association of Seadogs, Bola Osodipo, criticised the government’s approach to tackling kidnapping and insecurity.
Osodipo argued that authorities should support all legitimate efforts aimed at combating criminal elements and expressed concern over what he described as the politicisation of security challenges.
The town hall meeting highlighted growing public concern over the worsening security situation in Oyo State, particularly following the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire, as stakeholders called for more decisive action to address the crisis.
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