Teaching and learning have resumed at Community High School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State following the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted by gunmen, but staff say fear remains because there is still no visible security presence around the school.
One of the teachers, who spoke anonymously in an interview with TVC on Wednesday, said the return of the rescued victims has encouraged more students to come back to class after nearly two months of uncertainty.
He recalled that immediately after the abduction, only about half of the students resumed school as many parents chose to keep their children at home over fears for their safety.
“The teachers, the principals, everybody were around. But unfortunately, we could only meet about half of the students. So, what we did was just to encourage them that, very soon, by God’s grace, the remaining students and the students in the bush would be released,” he said.
The teacher expressed gratitude over the successful rescue operation, saying it had restored some confidence among parents and students.
“We’ll give glory to God. On Friday, God did it. And we were able to come back to school on Monday,” he added.
According to him, school attendance has improved significantly since the victims returned. He also disclosed that academic activities have resumed fully, with students already sitting for their National Examination Council (NECO) examinations.
“Yesterday, we recorded an increased number of students in that school. And today, we just finished writing the NECO examination in our school. We wrote English Language,” he said.
Despite the return to normal academic activities, the teacher admitted that many members of staff remain traumatised by the kidnapping ordeal.
“The fear is still there. We have to be sincere. The fear is still there,” he said, explaining that discussions about the incident still leave some teachers feeling anxious.
He urged the government to strengthen security around rural schools, noting that the absence of visible security personnel continues to fuel uncertainty among teachers working in remote communities.
“Our concern is basically on what governments are doing to boost the security of the whole place. If the security apparatus are in place, the fear will be a little bit down. But presently, because you cannot see army or police around the school environment, the fear is still there,” he said.
The rescued pupils and teachers regained their freedom after spending 57 days in captivity following a coordinated operation by security agencies. During the attack, two teachers—Michael Oyedokun and Esiyan Adegboye—lost their lives.
The incident renewed concerns over the safety of schools in rural communities and has intensified calls for stronger security measures to protect students, teachers and educational facilities across the country.
