The Defence Headquarters has announced that the recent kidnapping incident in Oyo State was executed by terrorists who were displaced from other regions following intensified military operations. In a statement signed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, the military high command clarified that the attackers responsible for the abduction belonged to the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad terrorist group, who had been dislodged by sustained offensives across the country.
The military also reacted to publications regarding its classification of criminal elements in the South-West, describing such reports as mischievous and misleading. The DHQ firmly denied claims that it had referred to vicious and violent terrorists operating in the region as ordinary criminals. According to the statement, an earlier clarification on the security situation in the region was intended to provide an intelligence-based context to prevent misinformation and unnecessary panic among residents.
Furthermore, the Defence Headquarters emphasized that it had never undermined the authority of any democratically elected leader or diminished the severity of the heinous crimes committed against innocent citizens. The military reiterated its commitment to supporting constitutional governance and protecting democratic institutions. Onoja stated that troops remain actively deployed across the affected communities, working in collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders to dismantle terrorist networks threatening national peace and stability.
The clarification from the military follows recent attacks on communities in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. During the incident, armed terrorists abducted pupils, teachers, and other residents from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle. The attack resulted in several fatalities, while one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed by his captors after a video linked to the assault surfaced online.
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