KEY POINTS
- VeryDarkMan led a protest in Ibadan 32 days after the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire LGA.
- Protesters demanded urgent government action and the removal of bandits from Oyo State.
- Authorities revealed that the kidnappers are reportedly demanding weapons, money and political concessions for the victims’ release.
Popular social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, on Tuesday led residents of Oyo State in a protest demanding the removal of bandits and terrorists from the state, as outrage continues over the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
The protest came 32 days after the victims were kidnapped on May 15, 2026, with many residents expressing frustration over the prolonged captivity of the pupils and their teachers.
Protesters marched through major roads, chanting slogans such as “Bandits must go” and “Leave our land”, while calling on President Bola Tinubu‘s administration to urgently intensify efforts to rescue the victims and restore security.
VeryDarkMan Warns Against Attempts to Disrupt Protest
Speaking to demonstrators at the Iwo Road Roundabout in Ibadan, VeryDarkMan stressed the need for citizens to rise against insecurity, warning that failure to act could expose more Nigerians to similar attacks.
Addressing the crowd in pidgin English, he warned against any attempt to disrupt the peaceful demonstration and maintained that Nigerians must stand together to prevent criminal groups from gaining further ground.
According to him, remaining silent would only increase the chances of more communities suffering the same fate as the abducted children and teachers.
After gathering at Iwo Road, the protesters moved to the Government House in Agodi, Ibadan, where they continued demanding the immediate rescue of the victims.
The demonstration reflects growing public anxiety over the worsening security situation across the country and mounting pressure on authorities to secure the release of those kidnapped in Oyo State.
Earlier in June, Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, disclosed that the abductors had made demands beyond ransom payments.
According to him, the terrorists were allegedly demanding weapons, money, and even concessions relating to future laws in Nigeria as conditions for releasing the schoolchildren and teachers.
Speaking on the debate over negotiating with kidnappers, Ogundoyin questioned whether such demands should be entertained, arguing that yielding to terrorists could have serious consequences for national security.