What Next After The Release Of Abducted Students, Teachers In Oyo?

By Musliudeen Adebayo

It is with great relief and joy that I, like other Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora received the news of the save rescue of the students and teachers that were kidnapped in Oyo State recently.

According to different reports, 39 students and seven teachers were kidnapped in the early hours of Friday, 15th May, 2026 from two schools in Oriire local government area.

The victims are residents of some communities in the local government area.

Historically, the incident was the first mass abduction in Oyo State and the entire Southwestern Nigeria.

During the incident, two people; a commercial motorcyclist and a teacher reportedly lost their lives. Available evidence also shown that one of the teachers was also killed by the kidnappers few days after the abduction.

On Friday, 10th July, 2026, the news many Nigerians have been expecting in the last few weeks was broke. It was the news of the rescue of the abducted victims.

Spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, Mr Bayo Onanuga who broke the news on his X handle said that the victims were successfully rescued without any collateral damage on the part of the victims and the rescue team.

It was also stated that some of the kidnappers have been arrested while some of them were neutralised. The operation was carried out by the combined team consisting of the Police, Army, Department of State Service and other security personnel.

At this point, like others have done, I want to commend the efforts of the federal government led by President Bola Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, groups and individuals for the roles they played to ensure save return of the victims.

I also want to commend the efforts of our security agencies, men of Nigeria Police Force, the Military, Department of State Service, local security outfits, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders for their professionalism in the rescue operation.

I wish to implore governments at all levels to deploy the necessary machineries to avoid recurrence and ensure safety of lives and properties of citizens in Nigeria at all times. It is a well known fact that the major responsibility of any government is to protect the lives of the people and their properties within its territory.

I want to specially commend Nigerian media, media houses, journalists at home and abroad, and foreign media houses for their professional reportage and coverage of the proceedings that led to the rescue operation.

I want to charge Nigerian media to continue to perform their roles without fear or favour. The major roles of the mass media are to educate, inform and entertain members of the public. As journalists, we should continue to perform our roles in line with the ethics of the profession and in line with the provision of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly section 22 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amendment) which encourages the mass media to hold people in positions of authorities accountable.

It is also worthy of note to say that the rescue of the victims has attracted several reactions among the political office holders, groups and individuals which prompted me to add my own voice as a social worker and journalist.

What next after rescue operation?

One vital thing that is important after the rescue operation is to provide the necessary healthcare services for the victims.

There is a need to give the victims the needed medical attention in case one may be suffering from any ailment as a result of the incident. The services of trained physicians and other health personnel are needed at this point.

The next thing is to reunite the victims with their respective families. Their families have been expecting them since they were abducted and they will be glad to see them again.

Next after that is to provide psychosocial support for the victims and their families. This is where the service of social workers who have been trained to rise up to the occasion is required.

Social Work is not just an academic discipline but an important profession that serves the individuals, groups and communities that are in distress and disadvantaged positions and need social and emotional supports in order to perform optimally in their daily activities.

There are three methods of social work which includes social casework, group work and community organisation or community development. All these methods in line with the principles and ethics of the profession will be applied by the social workers who are assigned to provide their services to their clients.

One major core role of social workers in this matter is to provide psychosocial support for the victims after their release. The service of social workers will be relevant in this case because they will help to provide the needed social and emotional support for the victims. This will ally their fear and ensure quick recovery from the emotional trauma experienced during the abduction and while In captivity.

The social workers have the mandate to provide social and emotional support for the victims and their families at home in order to ensure their total realignment with the society. These are the people who have not seen their families since 15th May and were rescued eight weeks after. They need the support of social workers who will provide psychosocial support than any other things at the moment.

Social workers are the professionals who have the knowledge, expertise and the skills to provide psychosocial support for the victims of Oriire abduction and other victims of humanitarian crisis and other vulnerable groups in the society.

At this point, I will like to call on the federal government of Nigeria and Oyo State Government to involve and engage social workers in these processes.

Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW) the umbrella body for all social workers in Nigeria is an affiliate of International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) and have enough members that are ready to assist in the provision of psychosocial support for the victims at all times.

Engagement of social workers in these processes will help to ensure total realignment of the victims back to the society and foster quick recovery of the affected victims and their families from the ugly incident.

Musliudeen Adebayo, a social worker cum journalist is the National Public Relations Officer of Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW) and doctoral candidate in Social Work at University of Ibadan.

Adebayo can be reached via Email: uniquemusliudeen@gmail.com orTel. 08138044276 or X: @musliudeen

Lest We forget: With Makinde’s Reform, Pensioners Now Have A New Lease Of Life

by InsideOyo

July 7, 2026

By Sulaimon Olanrewaju On Tuesday, June 26, 2018 in Ibadan, the Oyo State High Court corridors were filled not with lawyers in crisp suits, but with weary and worried pensioners clutching faded documents. Their faces told stories of decades of service in classrooms and council offices, now overshadowed by years of waiting. It was the hearing of a suit filed by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State Council, against the then governor of the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and five other top officials of the state. The union had dragged the government before the High Court over ₦42.3 billion unpaid gratuities and pensions for retired primary school teachers and local government pensioners. The figure was staggering, but for the retirees, it was beyond mere numbers; it was meals they couldn’t afford, the medication they couldn’t access, the responsibilities they couldn’t meet, and the dignity they had lost. The union’s counsel, Lasun Sanusi (SAN), painted a grim picture of the pensioners’ plight before Justice Maruf Adegbola. He said: “Primary school teachers and local government pensioners are dying almost daily because they cannot afford medications for their health challenges.” The courtroom fell silent, the words echoing the desperation of thousands of senior citizens. Outside, the pensioners gathered in clusters, some leaning on walking sticks, others supported by their children. They spoke of promises broken, of agreements to pay arrears in instalments that never materialised. Representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress stood with them, amplifying their cries for justice. Speaking at a press conference, the then state chairman of the union, Comrade Gbadegesin Akande, said the decision to institute a suit against the governor and others was a consequence of the roguish disposition of the government towards pensioners’ welfare, which resulted in the hoary heads, who had invested their youthful years in the service of the state, being subjected to agonising hardship and excruciating denigration. He explained that their recourse to the courts became a Hobson’s choice following the failure of the government to attend to the series of letters that had been written, endless pleas that had been made, and even countless protests that the union had embarked upon to get the government to address its plight. But despite their resort to litigation, not much changed for the pensioners; pensions were still owed and gratuities were still unpaid. At another press conference jointly addressed by the Secretary of the NUP, Comrade Segun Abatan, and the Secretary of the Association of Retired Primary School Teachers, Comrade Tunji Ogunwale, on May 4, 2019, the duo lamented the plight of pensioners and accused the outgoing administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of owing N62.5bn in pensions and gratuities. Speaking at the press conference, Comrade Ogunwale said: “Today, Oyo State Government is owing us N62.5billion. That is the amount of gratuities left unpaid. I am personally being owed 35 months pension arrears. They are owing some of us 60 months, some 55 and some 40 months. It varies from eight to 60 months. He (Governor Ajimobi) has never paid anybody any gratuity in the last eight years. If we had not gone to court, that means he would not have deemed it fit to pay a dime for eight years.” So, for pensioners in Oyo State, up to May 2019, life was rough, tough and torturous. It was marked by hardship, uncertainty, and indignity. Many retirees who had served the state faithfully for decades suddenly found themselves struggling to survive, as their pensions and gratuities were either delayed or paid in fractions. The government owed billions in arrears, and the elderly were left to bear the brunt of financial neglect. Their plight became a recurring headline, with protests and court actions reflecting the depth of their suffering. For many of these senior citizens already in the twilight of their lives, with children already grown and independent, there was no steady support system. So, feeding became a major challenge and getting money to buy the needed medication for their ailments became a nightmare. Many retirees sold property to survive, and some even died while waiting for what was theirs. The situation robbed many of them of the dignity and honour of old age. They were forced into begging or, for those of them who could muster enough strength, taking up menial jobs as security guards or gatemen. But when Comrades Abatan and Ogunwale held the press conference in May 2019, little did they realise how close the pensioners were to the change they had always wanted. On the 29th of that month, while being inaugurated as the Executive Governor of Oyo State for the first tenure at the iconic Liberty Stadium, Engineer Seyi Makinde made a promise that no longer would pensions be delayed or paid in percentages in the state. He then donated his entire salary as governor to the state for pension payment. He also promised to clear the backlog of unpaid gratuities. That marked the beginning of the end of the woes that retired civil servants had been subjected to over the years. Governor Makinde kept his promise to the pensioners and began the implementation immediately. While full pensions were paid alongside workers’ salaries, the governor, in 2019, approved the release of ₦500m monthly for gratuity. This was later increased to N1bn monthly in 2024, N1.5bn in 2025, and eventually N3bn monthly in January 2026. Till date, over N25bn gratuity backlog has been cleared with almost 5,000 retirees benefiting. Makinde did not stop at that. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor approved the free enrolment of pensioners into the State Health Insurance Scheme, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to ensuring accessible and affordable healthcare for senior citizens. The governor also raised the minimum pension in the state to N25,000. In addition, Governor Makinde approved that all pension increases since 2007, such as the 33 percent pension increase of 2010 and the consequential adjustment of 2019, be factored into the pensions of affected pensioners. With that, Oyo State pensioners became the highest paid in the country. The consistency in pension payment and commitment to outstanding gratuity defrayment have transformed the life of many a pensioner. For many retirees, the moment they received their gratuity was life-changing. Mrs Modupe Akinola, a retired teacher said, “The day I got my gratuity, I cried.” She added, “It was like a burden lifted off my shoulders. I could finally repair my leaking roof.” Equally transformative was the prompt payment of monthly pensions. Unlike what it was in the pre-Makinde era, retirees no longer have to wait for months to receive fractions of their pension. Salaries and pensions are paid side by side, restoring confidence and stability. “I can now buy my drugs without borrowing,” said Mr. Adewale Oladipo, a retired civil servant. “Before, I used to skip medication because I couldn’t afford it. That nearly killed me.” To express their gratitude to Governor Seyi Makinde for his commitment to their welfare, members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Oyo State Council, organised an appreciation rally in front of the Governor’s Office, Oyo State Government Secretariat in 2025. Speaking at the rally, the Secretary, Comrade Olusegun Abatan, said: "16 years before you took over the mantle of government in Oyo State, pensioners had no government that was sympathetic and empathetic to their plights. Gratuities were not paid as and when due, pensions of those times were withheld or paid in instalments and all entreaties to the governments fell on deaf ears, resulting in massive deaths of our members. "At one point, Oyo State pensioners were referred to as dead people and in actual fact, we were dying like fowls afflicted by Newcastle disease. When you contested for the first term, we just wanted anybody that would liberate us from the shackles of death and we went ahead to vote en masse for you. We did the same thing when you threw your hat into the ring for a second term....