The Kogi State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers has condemned the rising wave of kidnappings targeting educators, calling the situation an outright embarrassment that threatens to collapse the state's education system. Union officials warned on Thursday that teachers across multiple Local Government Areas have begun abandoning their posts, leaving classrooms empty and students without instruction.
Union Leaders Sound Alarm in Lokoja
The NUT Kogi State Chairman, Comrade Professor Obaka Obore, addressed reporters at the union's secretariat in Lokoja, the state capital, describing the security crisis as unprecedented. "We cannot teach under the shadow of kidnappers," he said. "Every week, we receive reports of teachers being abducted on their way to school or taken from their homes. This has to stop." The union represents more than 35,000 teachers employed across Kogi's 239 public primary and secondary schools.
Obore listed three specific incidents in the past 60 days alone: a mathematics teacher seized from Idah LG, a school headmaster taken from Okene, and two female educators abducted near Eganyi. The union has demanded a meeting with Governor Ahmed Odan within two weeks or it will consider a statewide strike vote.
Schools Close as Fear Spreads
In Idah Local Government Area, at least four primary schools suspended classes indefinitely following the abduction of a senior teacher last month. Parents have kept children home, and enrollment numbers have begun to drop. A parent in the area, who gave her name only as Hajia, told journalists her three children had not attended school in three weeks. "I cannot send them to a place where gunmen might come," she said. Local education officials confirmed the closures but said they lacked the resources to provide security escorts.
The Kogi State Universal Basic Education Board issued a statement urging schools to remain open but acknowledged it could not guarantee teacher safety. Board chairman Alhaji Mohammed Aiyegele warned that learning outcomes would suffer if the trend continued. Recent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results showed Kogi students ranked in the bottom third nationally, a statistic educators tie directly to repeated school disruptions.
Police Response Draws Union Ire
The Nigeria Police Force in Kogi State has established a special task force to tackle kidnapping along the Okene-Lokoja corridor, a notoriously dangerous stretch of highway. State Police Commissioner Dan malam Mohammed told journalists last week that officers had arrested six suspected kidnappers in August. However, the NUT dismissed the announcement as insufficient. "Arrests mean nothing if our members are still being taken," Obore said. The union pointed to a July incident in which a teacher was abducted despite police patrols announced just days earlier.
Kogi ranks among Nigeria's states with the highest concentration of highway kidnappings, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The state's position at the crossroads of northern and southern Nigeria makes it a transit route for criminal networks. Security analysts note that school employees, often perceived as having steady incomes, have become attractive targets.
Brain Drain Hits Rural Communities Hardest
The exodus of teachers from rural schools poses the most immediate threat, according to education advocates. Kogi's rural LGAs — including Omala, Yagba East, and Bassa — already struggle with teacher shortages, with some schools operating with just two or three staff members for more than 200 students. The loss of even one educator can shutter an entire institution. State education ministry records show Kogi needs an additional 4,200 teachers to meet the recommended pupil-to-teacher ratio.
The union argues that without guaranteed security, recruitment drives will fail. Kogi State University and the College of Education in Eganyi produce hundreds of education graduates annually, but officials note that many take jobs in neighboring states or the Federal Capital Territory rather than risk serving in their home state.
Funding Gaps Undermine Safety Promises
Kogi State's allocation for school security infrastructure remains well below recommendations from the Federal Ministry of Education. For the 2024 fiscal year, the state budgeted only 120 million naira for school safety programmes, compared to 800 million naira allocated for government headquarters maintenance. Education activists have long criticized the disparity, arguing that Kogi's leaders prioritize buildings over people. The state Ministry of Education declined to comment on the budget figures when contacted.
Some civil society organisations have stepped in. The Kogi Youth Assembly recently launched a community patrol initiative in three LGAs, training volunteers to escort teachers during morning hours. Coordinator Audu Amoke said the effort covered only a fraction of at-risk areas. "We are doing what we can with what we have," she said. "But we cannot replace the state government."
Parents Weigh Safety Against Education
The dilemma facing Kogi families illustrates a broader challenge across Nigeria's conflict-affected regions: how to balance children's safety with their right to learn. UNICEF data indicates that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children globally, with figures exceeding 10 million. Kogi State contributes an estimated 180,000 to that total, a number officials fear will grow if the kidnapping crisis persists.
Some parents have organised informal learning groups in their homes, pooling resources to hire private tutors. Others have moved children to cities like Abuja and Minna, incurring significant relocation costs. The economic burden falls hardest on low-income families, who cannot afford either option and must simply wait for conditions to improve.
What Happens Next
The NUT has given Governor Odan's administration until the end of October to present a concrete security plan or face industrial action. The union's ultimatum includes three demands: deployment of armed escorts for rural schools, establishment of a teacher protection fund, and prosecution of all pending kidnapping cases involving educators. Union members voted unanimously at an emergency congress held in Lokoja on Wednesday to authorise the strike if demands go unmet.
Security analysts suggest the governor may face pressure from multiple directions. Parents and teachers want visible action, while business leaders have warned that the kidnapping wave is deterring investment in the state. Kogi's internal revenue has declined by an estimated 8 percent this year, partly attributed to companies relocating staff and operations.
The state government issued a brief statement on Friday acknowledging the union's concerns and promising consultations. No timeline was given. Teachers say they will wait no longer than three weeks before taking action. "We love our students," Obore said. "But we also have families to protect. The state must choose whose side it is on."
