Private Schools Shut In Oyo Amid School Abduction Concerns

The closure was carried out under the Coalition of Private Schools in Oyo State, an umbrella body comprising several associations including the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Association of Model Islamic Schools (AMIS), Association of Private Academic Schools (APAPS), Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), League of Muslim School Proprietors (LEAMSP), Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria (APSON), Association of Arabic and Islamic Schools (AAIS), and the Joint Christian Education Council (JCEC).

Many schools across the state reportedly did not open for academic activities, following prior communication sent to parents, guardians, and stakeholders regarding the temporary shutdown. The decision was said to have been widely accepted by parents.

Sources further disclosed that members of the coalition also held coordinated prayer sessions, both physically and online, seeking the safe return of the abducted victims and praying for peace and security in Oyo State and Nigeria at large. The sessions reportedly involved teachers, students, parents, and other education stakeholders.

It could not immediately be confirmed whether the closure would extend beyond Friday into the coming week.

Meanwhile, public schools in Oyo State have remained shut for the past week, with only candidates sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) granted access to school premises to write their exams.

The prolonged shutdown of public schools has triggered protests by members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) across various parts of the state and beyond. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have also joined in solidarity, demanding urgent action for the release of the abducted students and teachers.