Lagos Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, on Tuesday, assured teachers that the legislature remains committed to establishing a State Police Force, as the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) staged a protest over the recent kidnapping of teachers and students in Oyo State.
Addressing the demonstrators at the Assembly complex, Obasa declared: “We feel the pains of our teachers and we sympathise with them. We are indeed in this together and we will not fold our arms. We are all stakeholders in this situation and must collectively seek solutions that will bring lasting peace and security to our schools and communities.”
The protest, led by Lagos NUT Chairman Comrade Hassan Akintoye, condemned the rising wave of abductions targeting schools nationwide. Akintoye recalled the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ tragedy and the Dapchi abduction, warning that the recent Oyo incident — where a teacher was beheaded and students brutalised — has deepened fears among educators.
He urged governments at all levels to act swiftly: “Schools must remain centres of learning and not theatres of violence and criminality.”
Obasa, in response, reiterated that the Assembly has long championed the creation of State Police, noting that President Bola Tinubu’s support for the initiative is a step toward curbing insecurity. He further cautioned social media users against spreading misinformation that could inflame public anxiety.
The Speaker called for collective responsibility, urging governments, security agencies, traditional institutions, parents and civil society to work together to safeguard schools as sanctuaries of learning rather than targets of violence.
