No fewer than 45 pupils have been reported abducted following a Friday attack on three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The educational institutions targeted by the gunmen were Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School. Sunday PUNCH gathered that tension is rising across the state following the incident, prompting security agencies to surround possible escape routes after the assailants fled into a nearby forest reserve bordering the local communities and the Old Oyo National Park axis. Three suspects have already been arrested in connection with the incident in Esiele and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.
A teacher at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Elizabeth Olagoke, explained that the gunmen struck in the morning as classes commenced. She said, “The terrorists came around 8am. We had all started the morning session. They came on six motorcycles, and there were two passengers on each bike.” Describing the unfolding chaos, Olagoke noted, “I heard them saying, ‘E ya wolé’ (come in). They started shooting sporadically, and there was pandemonium. The terrorists were speaking Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin English.” She added, “They were all masked and dressed in camouflage, and they were young men. They came from the Esinele area. They operated for about seven minutes.”
Olagoke further recounted her experience during the assault, stating, “They entered my classroom first and seized me and a two-year-old girl I was carrying. I pleaded with them, and one of them said they should let me go.” Highlighting the distribution of the abducted individuals, she said, “I started running, and some of them even chased after me. I had about 20 children in my kindergarten class. The schoolchildren are from three communities: Yawota, Esinele, and Alausa. The abducted schoolchildren are: eight from Yawota, 20 from Esinele, and five from Alausa. They also kidnapped a teacher. In all, they abducted about 48 persons.” She concluded by detailing the theft of property, stating, “The terrorists stole my husband’s motorcycle, which he had parked at my school. They also killed a motorcyclist and snatched his bike. The total number of motorcycles stolen in Yawota is three. They took away the schoolchildren on motorcycles. It was a terrifying situation. I am yet to recover from the shock.”
The traditional ruler of the community, the Eleshi Ele of Esiele, Oba Tajudeen Abioye, confirmed the abduction of 45 pupils and noted that rescue operations are underway. A former lawmaker representing Oriire Constituency, Bamigboye Abidoye, visited the community and stated that 36 pupils were taken from the Baptist school alone, adding, “About five teachers were also abducted from the secondary school,” Commenting on the ongoing investigation, a senior security operative stated, “Investigation is ongoing, and the public is assured that the schoolchildren and the principal will be rescued unhurt,”
The incident has thrown several mothers into intense grief. One of the affected parents, Ajarah Ayanwale, explained that the kidnappers initially deceived residents with their uniforms. She said, “We saw the kidnappers in army uniforms in the morning. We thought they were in the community to protect us. Some of us were even saying, ‘Thank God, we now have security presence in our community,’” Ayanwale noted that panic quickly ensued, adding, “We started hearing gunshots a few minutes later. We started running helter-skelter, and we were concerned about the safety of our children,” She pleaded for state intervention, stating, “It was when we returned home expecting our children that we realised they had been kidnapped. We were told they took away our children in a car and on motorcycles. The government should please help us rescue our children,”
Another mother, Shukurat Pius, whose five-year-old son was taken, recalled, “Some of the schoolchildren escaped through the windows, but the little ones who could not run were seized,” adding, “They were put on motorcycles, and the rest of the children were marched into the forest on foot. I want my child alive. The government should help bring our children back,” Nafisat Agunle, searching for her missing eight-year-old son, stated, “We were at home when we started hearing gunshots around 8am to 9am. Later, we heard gunmen had attacked the primary school,” She described her distress, saying, “I have since been searching for him. I could not sleep, eat or bathe. This is the first time such an incident has happened in the community. Our hearts are heavy,”
Adijat Ibrahim, whose nine-year-old son was abducted after leaving for school early, remarked, “He loves punctuality,” Highlighting the aftermath of the raid, she stated, “After everything settled, I went to the school to pick up my son, but I could not find him. The school was empty, and the atmosphere was tense,” She added, “I keep feeling like my son will walk into the house. I love my son. The government should please help rescue the schoolchildren.” In Esiele, Serah Oguntunde witnessed the gunmen fleeing through Alausa, stating, “About two minutes later, we saw the gunmen in a car with some schoolchildren at Alausa. They were coming from Esiele,” She revealed that the vehicle belonged to the school principal, adding, “The schoolchildren in the car were about eight, excluding the terrorists. The car was later set ablaze,” Oguntunde lamented, “We went to the school to check for my daughter, but we could not find her. I pray they do not harm my daughter. This is devastating.”
Selimat Abadi, who had two children aged eight and five abducted, noted, “They both left home for school around 7am. They are serious about their education,” adding, “About 20 parents gathered at the school, and none of us went back home with our children. This is scary. We want our children back alive,” Another resident, Gabriel Sunday, whose two children were taken while one escaped, said, “I was on my farm when I heard gunshots. I had to return to the community to find out what was happening,” He added, “My son who returned home said he ran through the bush after the terrorists abducted his classmates,” and stated, “I do not pray to lose any of my children. I want them back alive,”
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland and National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress, Gani Adams, raised the alarm over the security situation, warning that criminal networks have heavily infiltrated the region. Adams insisted that local security outfits lack the required framework to intervene effectively, stating, “There is nothing we can do without state police or government approval for the operationalisation of local security outfits. There is nothing the government can do about kidnapping and insecurity in the SouthWest because we have been seriously infiltrated. Unless we have state police or allow the relevant security groups to partner with governors at the local government level to operate, the problem of insecurity will persist. The governors have refused to partner and work with local security groups, and this has continued to worsen insecurity in the region. OPC and other local security groups can’t operate and carry arms without the approval of the government; we will be in trouble if we do that. And we have been calling on the governments of the SouthWest states to give us the approval to operate, but nothing has happened. We are currently seeking government collaboration; we cannot just intervene. I have learnt my lessons from past experience; we have had serious trouble with the government for getting involved in security without government approval,”
Adams further warned that recent border incursions represent preliminary maneuvers by the syndicates, stating, “We have not seen anything yet. The terrorists are just testing the waters for now, invading Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and now Oyo States. Their strategy for now is to carry out what appear to be small attacks; they don’t want to show their strength because, if they do, you will know their number and may want to crush them with your forces. What they are doing now is to sneak into our territories, launch attacks, kidnap and sneak out. And the only way to fight them is to engage local security groups who are familiar with the terrain and their routes,”
The Oyo State Government stated that the suspects involved in the attack have been contained within the National Park axis. The Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, explained that a joint operational force comprising the Nigerian Army, police, and Civil Defence Agro Rangers has commenced search operations, with the police commands of Oyo and Kwara states coordinating efforts along state boundaries. Oyelade noted that the absence of immediate, accurate school records has complicated tracking, stating, “This has made the rescue operation more difficult. What we are trying to do now is locate their position and apply pressure,”
Governments across neighboring South-West states have subsequently intensified border security and local patrols to forestall similar occurrences. The Commander of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo State, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, announced round-the-clock border surveillance, stating, “We have intensified our patrols along the border communities. We have now made the patrol a 24-hour operation,” The Osun State Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Samuel Ojo, noted, “We are working to ensure that such a thing will not happen in our state,” while the Ogun State Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, stated, “We are very proactive in Ogun State, and we have put several security measures in place to ensure that our people can sleep with their two eyes closed,”
The Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, detailed the state's preventative measures, stating, “We are not resting on our oars; we are sensitising the people on the need to be vigilant. Security is everybody’s business, and there is a need to provide security agencies with information about strange faces and suspicious movements in their areas. In Ekiti, we are running a Safe School Project programme where almost all the schools in the state are well-fenced, and we deploy technology to ensure that we get real-time information relating to the activities of the schools and immediate communities at all times. We have secured our border towns to the extent that we are confident that we are safe. The governor is holding security meetings not only with security agencies but with traditional rulers who are also working with the security agencies, ensuring that intelligence reports are shared,”
In Lagos State, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, assured residents that structural protections are active, stating, “The governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has continued to maintain that the people of Lagos State are fully secured. Lagos State has put in place the architecture necessary to ensure that there will not be any security breach. Lagosians do not have anything to be afraid of. Lagos is secured,” He added, “However, the governor has also continued to tell the people that if you see something, you say something. If you notice any unusual movement around you, do not wait for the government alone because security is everybody’s business.” Finally, the Director General of the DAWN Commission, Seye Oyeleye, confirmed regional coordination efforts, stating, “Based on what happened yesterday, we have reached out to the appropriate quarters. A lot of things are going on underground to try and rescue these children and also ensure that things like this don’t happen again.”
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