The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, has condemned the recent attack on school children in the state, describing the incident as barbaric, disturbing and unacceptable.
The Union recalled in a statement jointly signed by the chairman of the Council, Mr. Akeem Abas, and the Secretary, Temidayo Adu, that armed men on Friday, reportedly invaded schools in Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire Local Government Area, causing panic among pupils, students and staff members.
According to the police, the affected schools were L.A primary School, Ahoro-Esinele and Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele.
The Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Mr Joel Adesiyan, was killed, while a vice principal and an unspecified number of school children were abducted.
Oyo NUJ expressed deep concern over the traumatic experience forced upon innocent school children who should ordinarily be in a safe and conducive environment for learning and development.
It stated that children remain among the most vulnerable members of society and should never be subjected to fear, violence or any form of criminality capable of endangering their future and psychological wellbeing.
The Oyo NUJ noted that schools were meant to serve as centres for learning, growth and character building, stressing that any attack on educational institutions or pupils amounts to an attack on the future of society and the collective aspirations of the state.
It condemned the perpetrators of the heinous act and urged security agencies to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that those behind the attack are tracked down and brought to justice.
The Council, however, commended the swift response of the police and other security agencies in handling the situation.
It expressed optimism that ongoing efforts would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators and ensure the safe return of the abducted school children to their families.
It called on the government and relevant stakeholders to undertake a comprehensive review and strengthening of security architecture in both public and private schools across the state in order to prevent a recurrence of such unfortunate incidents.
