Militants launch attacks on trio of educational institutions in Oyo

Panic gripped Oyo State on Friday as armed terrorists launched a coordinated attack on three schools in Orire Local Government Area, resulting in the death of an assistant headmaster, the abduction of numerous pupils and teachers, and widespread chaos.

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The attack targeted Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, Esiele, and L.A. Primary School, with residents describing it as one of the most brazen assaults on school communities in recent times.

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The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, catching parents, teachers, and residents off guard, and prompting security operatives to launch a manhunt for the kidnappers.

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Eyewitnesses reported that the hoodlums stormed the communities around 9am, shortly after pupils gathered for morning assembly, and began shooting sporadically as they entered school premises and nearby areas.

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The attackers arrived on motorcycles and operated in a coordinated manner, striking multiple schools almost simultaneously, forcing pupils and teachers to flee into nearby bushes for safety.

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A resident described the scene, saying, "They came in large numbers on motorcycles and started shooting immediately, everybody ran, they moved from one school to another within minutes."

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Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, was killed during the incident, reportedly shot dead while trying to escape through a window.

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His death has sparked grief within the education community, with colleagues remembering him as dedicated and committed to his duties.

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In a separate incident during the chaos, an okada rider who unknowingly rode into the scene of the attack was also killed after being caught in the crossfire.

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The attackers abducted the principal of Community Grammar School, Mrs Rachael Alamu, alongside five teachers and an unspecified number of pupils, with sources saying the terrorists moved quickly between classrooms.

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A resident reported, "The assistant head teacher was trying to escape through the window, but he was shot dead, the principal and five teachers were kidnapped, they also took several pupils."

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The exact number of abducted pupils remains unclear, but residents fear the figure could be significant, especially from the secondary school.

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The terrorists used the principal's vehicle to transport some of the abducted victims out of the community, but later abandoned and burnt it when it developed a mechanical fault.

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A resident explained, "The schools are very close to each other, so the attack affected both at the same time, they used the principal's car to move some of the abducted victims, but when the vehicle could not continue, they abandoned it and set it ablaze."

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The traditional ruler of the community, the Eleshi Ele of Esiele, Oba Tajudeen Abioye, confirmed that the terrorists arrived on eight motorcycles, each carrying two armed men, and began their attack while a town meeting was ongoing.

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Oba Abioye said, "We were having a town hall meeting when we suddenly heard gunshots, people started running in all directions, later, we discovered they had attacked the schools, killed a teacher and abducted pupils and the principal."

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The monarch added that even kindergarten pupils were not spared in the attack, saying, "They did not spare anyone, they abducted pupils from both primary and secondary schools, including very small children, we cannot even confirm the number yet."

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Oba Abioye lamented that the absence of a nearby police station contributed to the scale of destruction, saying, "The police station is far from our community, it took them about two hours before they arrived."

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Following the attack, the assailants fled into a nearby forest reserve bordering Oriire communities and Old Oyo National Park axis, prompting security agencies to launch a coordinated search-and-rescue operation.

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The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Ayodeji Abimbola, led a team of tactical officers to the area shortly after the incident, while military personnel were deployed to comb the forest in search of the abductors and rescue victims.

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As of Friday night, security forces were still combing the forested areas believed to be the escape route of the attackers.

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Residents described the aftermath as chaotic, with many families fleeing their homes, and despite a large security presence, fear persists, as many parents remain uncertain about the whereabouts of their children.

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The Chairman of Oriire Local Government Area, Michael Olateju, said the terrorists entered through the Yawota axis, describing the terrain as difficult and remote, which made rapid security response challenging.

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Olateju said, "They entered through Yawota, the area is far from the nearest police station, it is not easy to access quickly."

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A former lawmaker representing Oriire Constituency, Bamigboye Abidoye, said the attackers exploited the proximity of the communities to forest reserves, saying, "The bandits attacked the schools on motorcycles, they moved quickly between communities and abducted pupils and teachers, we need a military post around these areas."

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Abidoye added that the attackers forced victims into vehicles and later abandoned and burnt them when movement became difficult.

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A relative of one of the missing students reported that his 16-year-old niece, a JSS2 student, had remained unaccounted for since she left home for school on the morning of the incident.

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The relative said, "She left home for school around 7am, and we have not seen her since then, we have searched everywhere, but we are not sure if she is among the kidnapped victims or if she ran away."

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The Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board ordered the temporary closure of schools in Oriire and surrounding local government areas as a precaution to prevent further attacks and allow security agencies to stabilise the region.

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The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the killing of the Assistant Headmaster and the motorcyclist, but stated that no pupil had been officially confirmed killed as of the time of filing this report.

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In a separate incident, gunmen attacked a school in Mussa community, near the Sambisa Forest in Borno State, on Friday morning, with the Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Askira, confirming the attack but saying details were unclear.

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Askira described the incident as disheartening, noting that the insurgents struck shortly after troops on patrol left the community.

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The President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, said the attackers stormed the school without resistance and took away an unspecified number of pupils.

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Kaigama said, "They came this morning and took away some children, though the number is yet to be specified, I was reliably informed that the abductors are the same faction that carried out the Ngoshe kidnapping."

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The Oyo and Borno incidents add to the country's long list of school kidnappings in recent years, particularly in the North and North-Central regions.