Members of the Hausa community in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, took to the streets on Wednesday to stage a peaceful protest against what they described as systematic ethnic profiling and stigmatisation following a recent wave of high-profile kidnappings in the state.
The demonstration highlights growing ethno-regional tensions in southwest Nigeria, a region historically insulated from the mass school abductions that have plagued the country’s northern states for a decade.
Gathering in significant numbers, the protesters expressed deep frustration over being collectively blamed for the activities of armed criminal gangs.
Hausa community leaders stated that the actions of a few criminal elements should not be used to label an entire ethnic group, emphasizing that law-abiding Hausa residents are equally victimised by the worsening insecurity and desire peace.
The demonstration follows weeks of simmering local anger and public pressure on security agencies, which protesters claim has increasingly translated into harassment, profiling, and unfair suspicion directed at northern traders and residents living in Oyo.
Inside Oyo State:
Oyo Police Arrest Three, Recover Firearms, Stolen Cables in Oyo Town
NAF Deploys Surveillance Aircraft to Aid Rescue of 46 Abducted Oyo Teachers and Pupils
Oyo Fulani Leader: Kidnappers Killed My Child After I Refused ₦80m Ransom
The trigger for the heightened tension is a catastrophic security breach that occurred nearly a month ago.
On May 15, 2026, gunmen wearing military camouflage launched coordinated, simultaneous raids on three schools across communities including Yawota and Ahoro-Esinele in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The attackers, who reportedly rode into the towns on motorcycles and fired shots to terrorise residents, forcefully marched victims into the vast forest reserves bordering the Old Oyo National Park.
A total of 46 individuals—39 pupils, some as young as two and three years old, and 7 teachers were taken into captivity. The raid turned lethal almost immediately as Joel Adegboye Adesiyan, a teacher, was shot and killed on-site while attempting to protect his students from the abductors.
Also, Michael Oyedokun, 57, a mathematics teacher and father of two, was brutally executed by the kidnappers two days into captivity. The abductors filmed the killing and circulated the footage on social media, sparking national outrage and deep psychological trauma across the state.
With communities emptying out due to fear and families of the victims growing increasingly desperate under the weight of agonising wait times, local leaders are urging both the government and the public to maintain the peace and shun ethnic profiling.
About the Author
