Education
THE Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, has urged government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the safe rescue of the abducted Oriire students and teachers.
The call was contained in a communique issued at the end of the monthly congress of the council and jointly signed by its Chairman, Akeem Abas and Secretary, Dayo Adu, on Monday in Ibadan.
While commending the security agencies and government authorities for their efforts so far, the council urged them to deploy all available resources, intelligence, and operational strategies to ensure the safe reunion of the victims with their families.
Abas condemned the increasing incidents of kidnapping, banditry, and other forms of insecurity across the state, urging governments at all levels to take decisive and proactive measures to curb the menace.
He also called for the deployment of adequate security personnel to schools to guarantee the safety of pupils, students, teachers, and other education stakeholders.
“We express concern over the seeming difficulty in tracking and apprehending kidnappers and bandits despite the frequent use of social media platforms by these criminal elements to disseminate videos and other materials.
“We urge security and intelligence agencies to leverage modern technology and digital intelligence tools to identify, track, and prosecute these criminal networks.
“The council reaffirms its support for the establishment of a state police as a viable solution to Nigeria’s security challenges.
“We call on relevant authorities to expedite action on the constitutional and legislative processes required to make it a reality,” he said.
The council further condemned the practice of subjecting candidates to write the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) late into the night,
It described the situation as unsafe, unacceptable, and detrimental to the wellbeing of students.
The council appealed to WAEC to revise its examination schedule and ensure that candidates do not sit for examinations beyond reasonable hours.
It specifically urged the examination body to reschedule any paper that cannot commence and conclude before 4:00 p.m. in the interest of students’ safety and welfare.
The council urged its members and other media practitioners to uphold the ethics of the profession by verifying information before publication, particularly on sensitive security matters. (NAN)
A.I
June 8, 2026
Tags: Akeem Abas Dayo Adu