Wike Warns Against Politicizing Insecurity Amid NUT Protest

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, cautioned against politicising insecurity amid protests over kidnappings.

Wike delivered the warning in Abuja on Tuesday while speaking to members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT Wing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that teachers had stormed the FCTA Secretariat to protest the killing of teacher Mr. Michael Oyedokun by kidnappers in Oyo.

Oyedokun was abducted along with other teachers and students from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

Addressing the protesters, the FCT minister said the federal government was actively working to rescue the schoolchildren and their teachers.

“We are all concerned about this security situation. Whether we like it or not, the government is on its toes to ensure that those who were kidnapped are rescued.”

“I have confidence that security agencies will do all they can to make sure the teachers and the students are rescued alive and safe,” he added.

Wike urged the protesting teachers not to politicise the incident, noting that kidnappings of schoolchildren and teachers occur in various parts of the country, yet no similar protests had taken place elsewhere. He questioned why the Oyo incident was treated differently.

“Let me say this clearly, I don’t like politicising anything that happens. We have said here that teachers are being kidnapped in other states before; why was there no protest in Abuja?”

“Does it mean that the teachers in Abuja are not important? We are all concerned, but let us not politicise issues; that’s what I will not support.”

“We are all concerned about the security situation, about how the teachers and students will be released,” he repeated.

Earlier, the union’s FCT chairman, Mr. Abdullahi Shafa, explained that the nationwide solidarity protest was meant to condemn the killing of the teacher and the abduction of the schoolchildren, and to demand their release.

Shafa said the protest followed a directive from the union’s national headquarters and described the incident as disturbing and unacceptable, emphasizing that teachers should not be subjected to such violence while performing their duties.

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