Oyo school kidnap: 45 plus pupils kidnapped as gunmen raid three Oriire schools, security forces close in on suspects inside national park.
Families in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State woke up Saturday morning to a nightmare they never imagined. Armed gunmen, dressed in military camouflage, stormed three schools on Friday morning and carted away no fewer than 45 pupils, some as young as four years old, along with at least one teacher and a school principal.
The attack struck Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Esiele, and L.A. Primary School three institutions that sit at the heart of quiet farming communities now gripped by fear and grief.
How It All Happened
The gunmen arrived around 8am on six motorcycles, two riders per bike. They came dressed in army uniforms — a deliberate deception that bought them precious minutes before anyone raised the alarm.
"We saw them in army uniforms and thought the government had finally sent security men to protect us," said Ajarah Ayanwale, one of the affected mothers. "Some of us were even thanking God."
That relief turned to horror when gunshots rang out across the communities minutes later.
Elizabeth Olagoke, a teacher at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, survived the attack and gave one of the most gripping first-hand accounts of what unfolded.
"They came on six motorcycles and started shooting sporadically. There was total pandemonium," she said. "They were speaking Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin English. They were all masked, dressed in camouflage, and appeared to be young men."
Olagoke said the attackers entered her classroom first, seizing her and a two-year-old girl she was carrying at the time.
"I pleaded with them, and one of them said they should let me go. I ran, and some of them even chased after me," she recalled.
She said the gunmen operated for roughly seven minutes before disappearing into the forest but not before taking approximately 48 people, including children from Yawota, Esinele, and Alausa communities, and one teacher.
They also stole three motorcycles, killed a commercial motorcyclist and took his bike, and drove away some of the children in a car reportedly driven by the abducted school principal.
Mothers in Tears: "I Cannot Sleep, Eat or Bathe"
The human cost of Friday's attack is written on the faces of mothers across the affected communities.
Shukurat Pius said her five-year-old son, Stephen, was seized after he could not escape through the school windows like some of the older children did.
"The little ones who could not run were seized and put on motorcycles. The rest were marched into the forest on foot," she said, her voice breaking.
Nafisat Agunle, whose eight-year-old son was taken, said she has not been able to eat, sleep, or even bathe since the attack.
"This is the first time such a thing has happened here. Our hearts are heavy," she said.
Adijat Ibrahim still cannot accept that her nine-year-old son, Muhammed a boy known for his love of punctuality is gone.
"He left for school at 7am. After everything settled, I went to pick him up, but the school was empty," she said, fighting back tears. "I keep feeling like he will walk through the door."
At Esiele community, Serah Oguntunde said she actually saw the gunmen's vehicle speed past with children inside.
"The car had about eight children, excluding the terrorists. It was later set ablaze," she said.
Perhaps the most painful situation belongs to Selimat Abadi, who lost two children in the same attack, an eight-year-old and a five-year-old, both of whom had left home together for school that Friday morning.
"About 20 parents gathered at the school afterwards, and none of us went home with our children," she said.
Gabriel Sunday said only one of his three children returned. His six-year-old son Jacob and four-year-old daughter Mary were taken. His third child escaped through the bush.
How Many Were Taken? Figures Vary
Confirming the attack, the traditional ruler of the community, the Eleshi Ele of Esiele, Oba Tajudeen Abioye, said 45 pupils were abducted and that rescue efforts were already underway.
A former lawmaker representing Oriire Constituency, Bamigboye Abidoye, put the figure higher, saying 36 pupils were taken from Baptist Nursery and Primary School alone, with about five teachers also abducted from the secondary school.
The teacher, Olagoke, put the combined total at approximately 48 persons.
Authorities say school records have yet to be properly compiled, making it difficult to establish an exact number, a gap that has complicated rescue operations.
Security Forces Move In
The Oyo State Government said security forces had confined the suspected kidnappers within the Old Oyo National Park axis, sealing off their escape routes.
Commissioner for Information Dotun Oyelade confirmed that the Nigerian Army, Civil Defence Agro Rangers, and the Nigeria Police Force had been mobilised, with the Commissioner of Police coordinating operations alongside his counterpart in neighbouring Kwara State.
Three suspects were also arrested in connection with the attack on Friday in Esiele and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.
Three patrol teams made up of Amotekun operatives and hunters drawn from seven local government areas in Oke-Ogun were deployed through Igbeti towards Oloka and nearby communities.
"We are trying to locate their position and apply pressure," Oyelade said, adding that there had been no direct contact with the abductors yet.
Southwest Now a Target — Gani Adams Warns
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland and National Coordinator of the Oodua People's Congress (OPC), Gani Adams, used the incident to sound a broader alarm.
He warned that bandits and terrorists had deeply penetrated South-West states, with recent attacks across Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Oyo serving as early warning signs of a wider campaign.
"The terrorists are just testing the waters. They don't want to show their strength yet," Adams said. "What they are doing is sneaking in, launching attacks, kidnapping people, and sneaking out."
Adams called for state police and government approval for local security outfits to operate and bear arms legally, saying without that, the region remained dangerously exposed.
"There is nothing we can do without state police or government approval. The governors have refused to partner with local security groups, and this has worsened insecurity," he said.
Other States Tighten Security
The attack triggered immediate security reviews across the South-West. In Ondo State, Amotekun Commander Akogun Adetunji Adeleye said border patrols had been upgraded to 24-hour operations, with plain-clothes officers deployed to strategic locations and forests placed under active surveillance.
The Ondo State Police Command confirmed that anti-kidnapping squads, tactical teams, and mobile police personnel had been deployed to highways and border communities, with increased collaboration with local vigilantes and community leaders.
Similar steps were reportedly taken in Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, and Lagos states as governments across the region moved to prevent a repeat of the Oriire attack.
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