Major traffic routes in Ibadan were brought to a standstill on Monday, June 22, 2026, as hundreds of protesters blocked the busy Iwo Road Roundabout to demand the rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers still held in captivity more than a month after their abduction in Oriire Local Government Area.

The demonstration, led by civil society groups and supported by parents and residents, caused a complete traffic gridlock for several hours, disrupting commercial and interstate movement across the Oyo State capital.

The protest began around 10:00 a.m. when members of the Take It Back Movement and allied groups converged on the strategic junction, chanting slogans and carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Bring Back Our Children” and “Safe Roads Now.”

The demonstrators are demanding immediate and intensified efforts to secure the release of 39 nursery and primary school pupils and seven teachers abducted during a mass kidnapping incident in Oriire LGA.

Movement National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, said the blockade was a deliberate escalation aimed at sustaining pressure on authorities.

“This is part of ongoing actions since the abduction of the children and their teachers in Oriire,” Sanyaolu said. “We cannot allow this crisis to fade while innocent children remain in captivity.”J

The blockade at Iwo Road forced commuters, commercial drivers, and interstate travelers along the Lagos–Ibadan corridor to divert or abandon their journeys, as human chains stretched across key lanes of the roundabout.

The disruption also affected access roads linking Dugbe, Mokola, Idi-Ape, and other major commercial hubs, causing widespread delays across the city’s transport network.

Following the protest, operatives of the Oyo State Police Command and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were deployed to strategic locations to prevent escalation and maintain order.

Security cordons were established around key government and commercial areas, including the Secretariat at Agodi, Mokola Roundabout, and other sensitive intersections.

Authorities monitored the situation closely to ensure the protest remained peaceful and did not degenerate into violence or be infiltrated by criminal elements.

Governor Seyi Makinde, reacting to public concerns over the prolonged captivity of the victims, assured residents that efforts to secure their release are ongoing.

“Those children and their teachers will be brought back,” Makinde said. “Oyo State is not Chibok, and it will not become Chibok. We are deploying all necessary resources and working with relevant security agencies to ensure their safe return.”

The protest comes amid rising public anxiety over insecurity in the region, with civil society groups warning that further demonstrations may follow if there is no visible progress in rescue operations.

While the blockade caused significant disruption to daily economic activities, several commuters expressed sympathy with the protesters’ demands, describing the situation as a reflection of broader concerns over safety in parts of the state.

Civil society organizers say they will continue mobilization efforts until there is credible and verifiable information on the whereabouts and safe recovery of the abducted victims.