Oyo abduction protest: Obasa knocks content creators for exploiting tragedies

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, on Tuesday accused some social media content creators of exploiting tragic incidents for personal gain, urging Nigerians to focus on finding solutions to insecurity rather than profiting from the misfortune of victims.

Obasa made the remarks while receiving members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Lagos State chapter, who staged a protest at the Assembly complex in Ikeja over the abduction of pupils, students and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The rally formed part of a nationwide action directed by the national leadership of the NUT to draw attention to the increasing wave of kidnappings and attacks targeting schools and education workers across the country.

Addressing the protesters, Obasa said the safety of schoolchildren and teachers should be a collective concern and not an issue to be turned into social media content for popularity or financial benefit.

“You cannot make a profit out of some people’s misfortune. What we should be doing is looking for lasting solutions and rescuing the teachers and pupils. Everybody can contribute; it is not about the government alone,” he said.

The Speaker stressed the need for a collaborative approach to addressing insecurity, noting that citizens also have a role to play by providing useful information and supporting efforts aimed at protecting lives and property.

He reiterated his support for state policing, describing it as one of the most viable long-term solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges.

“We are all concerned about the situation, particularly the one that happened in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. Here at the Lagos State House of Assembly, we have been doing our best to ensure security. That is why this House has, several times, been at the forefront of state police.

“Recently, we read about the position of President Bola Tinubu on state police. This further confirms that it is both necessary and important for this country to have state police. It is not about protesting alone; we all need to come together to find lasting solutions,” he said.

Obasa assured parents, teachers and other stakeholders that governments at all levels were working towards securing the release of the abducted victims.

“I want to assure you that the President and his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, are concerned about this matter. This is not about the Federal Government alone; we also have state and local governments. Those other levels of government get allocations and should be concerned about the security of their states,” he added.

The Speaker also highlighted Lagos State’s efforts to strengthen local security through legislation, citing the establishment of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, which he said later inspired the Amotekun security network adopted by South-West states.

Earlier, the Lagos State Chairman of the NUT, Akintoye Hassan, said the protest was a response not only to the recent abduction in Oyo State but also to years of attacks on schools, students and teachers across Nigeria.

According to him, the education sector has continued to bear the burden of insecurity since incidents such as the Chibok and Dapchi school abductions.

“Our effort is not even about the recent Oyo incident. It dates back to 2014 when we had the Chibok and Dapchi incidents. Teachers of Nigeria not only teach knowledge; we teach values. Part of the values we teach are resilience, endurance and tolerance,” Hassan said.

He urged Nigerians to stop viewing insecurity solely as a government problem, insisting that members of the public must also take responsibility for combating the menace.

“This banditry has no respect for status, religion or ethnicity. It is affecting every sector of society. Let us stop trading blame.

“Let us change the orientation and direction of the discussion so that we stop blaming the government alone. Society members also have their own share. Many people have been arrested by security agents as informants to these groups. Can we put that blame on the government alone?” he asked.

Hassan also questioned the level of security provided in public schools, arguing that government institutions and residences of top public officials receive stronger protection than facilities used by ordinary citizens.

“For you to know that we can never be pleased, when we were about to enter the premises of the Lagos State House of Assembly, security personnel accosted us to ensure our presence would not be inimical to the premises.

“Is that happening in schools? Is it happening in our hospitals? Why is it that the place where we have our big men is protected? Places like the House of Assembly, National Assembly, Aso Rock and Government Houses are well secured. It is obvious that our society is not protected enough, especially when it affects the common people,” he said.

The NUT chairman disclosed that the union’s national leadership would assess reports from the nationwide protests before deciding on further actions regarding the safety of schools and the release of the abducted victims.

Oyo abduction protest: Obasa knocks content creators for exploiting tragedies