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The protesters, who gathered as early as 8am around Panseke, Abeokuta, were armed with placards bearing various messages such as “The crime they committed was that they went to school, release our children and teachers”, “Stop kidnapping, banditry”, “Stop insecurity, Nigeria is falling apart”, “Our future is crying for help!!! help!!! help!!!”, “Bring back our school children”, “End terrorism in Nigeria”, among others.
Recall that armed bandits raided three schools—Community Grammar School, L.A. Primary School (both in Ahoro-Esinele), and Baptist Nursery and Primary School (in Yawota)—located in the Oriire Local Government Area, near Ogbomoso.
A teacher and one other resident were shot dead during the invasion, while one of the abducted teachers, Mr Michael Oyedokun, was later gruesomely beheaded by the terrorists.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Pastor Juwon Owolabi lamented that residents now live in palpable fear and can no longer sleep well, as they do not know who will be the next victim of the ravaging insecurity.
He asserted that when society is not safe and secured, businesses cannot thrive, adding that they had decided to come out to urge both the state and the federal government to do more to protect citizens.
“This is a time when parents and everyone are grieving. We cannot continue like this. We sleep with anxiety and panic, and we trust that the government has the capacity and what it takes to end this insecurity now.
“We know that if it doesn’t end now, no one would be safe at the end. We stand with the parents, the families of those who are in the den of these terrorists, and we call on the government to intensify efforts to ensure the freedom of all that are under the captivity of these terrorists.”
Owolabi insisted that the country is at a tipping point and no one, including the rich or poor, is safe.
He explained that: “We are at a tipping point. We are at a point that if we don’t do anything about this insecurity, all of us will be victims of it. It doesn’t matter who you are, whether you are a civil servant, whether you are rich or 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 until the 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.”
“We are imploring the government to deploy all necessary instruments to ensure that these children are released and the security of our communities is guaranteed.”
Also speaking, an entrepreneur who simply gave her name as Ada disclosed that although her children are not part of the victims, she constantly thinks about the welfare of the children.
She argued that the country’s insecurity has also affected businesses, insisting that the least the government can do is to protect the lives and property of its residents.
“For someone like me, I’m into Aso oke business 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 bandits are not happy. My kids are not there but I can’t sleep; I think 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.”
Precious Jonathan, a nursing mother, disclosed that she joined the protest because her children and other children out there deserve a better Nigeria.
Jonathan said that: “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; I felt so sad and unhappy.
“We beg the government to please be more committed to fighting the ravaging insecurity. We want all these school children and their teachers to reunite with their families.”
Another resident, Ayodeji Ojo, a businessman, asserted that the children are innocent, urging the security agencies to double their efforts, stressing that Nigerians now live in fear.
Ojo said that: “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. So our government must be determined to crush these criminals head-on.”
Punch
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