Oyo Abduction: Police Intensify Rescue Efforts Amid Panic

The Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, has sent additional detectives from Abuja to join security teams working to rescue abducted students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State.

Police sources said the deployment aims to ensure the victims are brought back unharmed.

Authorities assured parents and residents that every measure is being taken to restore the abducted pupils to safety.

Scores of students and teachers were taken from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, during coordinated attacks on Friday morning.

Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed seven students were abducted from Community Secondary School, and 18 pupils along with seven teachers were taken from First Baptist Primary and Nursery School, adding that one person was killed.

Fear spread quickly through Ogbomoso as rumours of bandit incursions caused panic among residents.

Parents rushed to schools to collect their children while some schools closed temporarily.

False reports claimed that bandits had entered Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, creating further anxiety.

A resident, Kazeem Abdullah, said students fled classrooms and jumped through windows during the panic.

He added that parents arriving at schools simultaneously worsened the situation.

Similar reports emerged from Ajaawa, headquarters of Ogo-Oluwa LGA, suggesting bandits were disrupting local communities.

The Oyo State Police Command dismissed these reports as unfounded after investigations.

Police explained the confusion began when students saw unfamiliar faces behind a school fence.

Investigations revealed the individuals were an NSCDC officer from Kwara State and two civilians visiting a friend for a birthday celebration.

A minor altercation with teachers during the visit heightened suspicion among students.

The command said false claims spread to nearby schools, escalating panic across Ogbomoso and Ajaawa.

Patrols were increased and police visibility strengthened to reassure the public.

Authorities confirmed that normal academic, commercial, and social activities had resumed.

The police warned the public against spreading unverified security reports that could incite fear.

LAUTECH management also refuted rumours that the university had been closed due to security threats.

Registrar Olayinka Balogun confirmed that examinations were ongoing and the institution remains open.

Traditional rulers of Ogbomosoland called for a military base in Oriire LGA to protect communities from armed attacks.

The Alapa of Apa, Akin Akintola, said a military presence near the forest reserve would offer broader security coverage than police alone.

He added that bandit activities had reached levels beyond what police can manage effectively.

The monarchs appealed to President Bola Tinubu to approve a military base in the zone to safeguard residents.

They said farmers and villagers could no longer carry out daily activities in safety due to fear of attacks.

The Oodua People’s Congress urged South-West governors to authorise local vigilante groups to confront armed gangs.

OPC President Wasiu Afolabi said political leaders had ignored repeated warnings, leaving communities vulnerable.

He described the attacks as highly provocative and unacceptable.

Afolabi insisted that children and residents must be protected from further harm.

He urged immediate collaboration between security forces and local groups to restore peace in Yorubaland.

Activist Sunday Adeyemo, known as Sunday Igboho, said he and his team were ready to flush marauders out of forests affecting the South-West.

He called on traditional rulers to ensure government approval for the Iru Ekun Security Network.

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria condemned the abductions and the killing of Michael Oyedokun, calling the acts a national outrage.

PFN National President Francis Oke said the incidents exposed a deepening security crisis and government failure.

He described the attacks as sacrilegious and a direct assault on the nation’s future.

Oke extended condolences to the families, schools, and communities affected by the abductions.

He warned that promises alone were insufficient and urged immediate action to end insurgency.

The fellowship reiterated that kidnapping and banditry are spreading nationwide and can no longer be treated as isolated incidents.

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