- Demonstrators on Monday morning completely barricaded the busy Iwo Road roundabout in Ibadan, paralyzing vehicular movement and causing immense traffic congestion across major transport corridors in the Oyo State capital.
- Led by the civil rights group, Take It Back Movement, the activists are demanding the immediate rescue and release of the 39 schoolchildren and teachers abducted by gunmen in the Orire Local Government Area last month.
- Leadership of the movement strongly condemned political elites for prioritizing 2027 electoral strategies and regional campaigns while dozens of citizens remain in captivity across various regions of the country.
A major civil demonstration on Monday morning brought vehicular traffic to a complete standstill at the popular Iwo Road interchange in Ibadan, Oyo State, as protesters blocked the highway to register their anger over prevailing insecurity and the unresolved abduction of school pupils within the state.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the mass action, which commenced around 10:00 am, left hundreds of commuters and commercial drivers stranded as activists occupied the primary transit artery connecting the capital city to other Southwestern states.
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The demonstration was organized and coordinated by the Take It Back Movement as part of a sustained series of public interventions following the mass kidnapping of 46 individuals, consisting of 39 pupils and their school teachers, in the Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State in May.
Holding placards and displaying large banners reading “#EndKidnapping,” the demonstrators expressed frustration over what they described as official complacency regarding the safety of ordinary citizens, highlighting the deep emotional and physical toll the abduction has taken on the victims’ immediate families.
Addressing journalists and onlookers during the demonstration, the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, stated that the group would continue to orchestrate mass actions until every captive is safely reunited with their family.
Sanyaolu criticized federal and state administrators for operating in insulated offices while innocent young citizens are left to languish in forest dens.
He further decried the current political focus on early maneuvering for the 2027 general elections, emphasizing that it is illogical to plan for future political cycles when the fundamental right to life and safety cannot be guaranteed today.
The leadership of the movement warned that unless immediate, transparent operational measures are taken by security agencies to secure the release of all captives across the North, South, East, and West of Nigeria, the state and federal governments will continue to face escalating civil resistance.
The Oyo State Police Command has reportedly monitored the development to prevent a total breakdown of law and order, while civic organizations have urged Governor Seyi Makinde to step up coordination with tactical squads to safely restore security within the affected local councils.
