Fear persists, Oyo teacher laments lack of security after pupils’ rescue

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A teacher at Community High School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has said pupils and teachers have resumed academic activities following the rescue of the abducted victims, but fear still lingers because of the absence of visible security around the school.

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The teacher, who didn’t reveal his name in the TVC interview uploaded on Wednesday, disclosed this while speaking after the victims regained their freedom following nearly two months in captivity.

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He recalled that shortly after the abduction, only about half of the students returned to school as many parents kept their children at home over safety concerns.

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“The teachers, the principals, everybody were around. But unfortunately, we could only meet about half of the students. So, what we did was just to encourage them that, very soon, by God’s grace, the remaining students and the students in the bush would be released,” he said.

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He expressed gratitude over the successful rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers, saying it encouraged more students to resume classes.

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“We’ll give glory to God. On Friday, God did it. And we were able to come back to school on Monday,” he added.

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According to him, the return of the rescued victims has helped restore some confidence among parents and pupils.

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“When we were in school already, we were able to encourage the students to come in because the students and the teachers that were kidnapped, they are already in town. So, that will give them the boldness to come around,” he said.

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The teacher said the school had since recorded improved attendance, adding that academic activities, including examinations, had resumed.

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“By the grace of God, yesterday, we recorded an increased number of students in that school. And today, we just finished writing the NECO examination in our school. We wrote English Language. I’m one of the teachers coordinating and invigilating the students,” he said.

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Despite the return to normal school activities, he admitted that many teachers were still traumatised by the incident.

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“Somehow, because as I was interacting with some of my colleagues now, the fear is still there. We have to be sincere. The fear is still there,” he said.

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He explained that discussions about the abduction still trigger panic among members of staff.

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“One way or the other, we are still discussing the situation. So, when we mention the situation, when we talk about it, some of them will still be in panic,” he said.

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The teacher urged the government to strengthen security around rural schools, saying many teachers remained uncertain about their safety due to the lack of visible security personnel.

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“Coming from a government school to work in a village like this, some of the teachers are doubting; they are not very sure what the government has provided in the form of security.”

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He added that the presence of security operatives around the school would help restore confidence among teachers and pupils.

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“Our concern is basically on what governments are doing to boost the security of the whole place. So, if the security apparatus are in place, the fear will be a little bit down. But presently, because of the fact that you cannot see army, police around us in the school environment, the fear is still there,” the teacher said.

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PUNCH Online reported that pupils and teachers abducted by gunmen from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State regained their freedom after spending 57 days in captivity following a coordinated rescue operation by security agencies.

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During the attack, two teachers, Michael Oyedokun and Esiyan Adegboye, were killed.

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