IBADAN— THE reported killing of one of the teachers abducted along some students in some schools in Ahoro-Esinele in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has raised serious concerns among relatives of victims still being held captive.
A video circulated on Monday where the victim, a male, was made to plea for quick intervention for their release by their captors before he was eventually killed.
Sources in the community disclosed that 46 individuals were abducted during the raids, comprising seven teachers and 39 pupils and students.
Those previously identified among the missing teachers included the principal of Community High School, Mrs Alamu Folawe; the vice principal, Mr Ojo Jonathan; Mr Olatunde Zacchaeus; Mr John Olaleye; Mr Michael Oyedokun; Mrs Oladeji; and Mary Akanbi of Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.
Villagers also alleged that the attackers made away with four motorcycles during the operation.
The latest development came shortly after a distress video appeared online in which Mrs Alamu appealed to the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government and compassionate Nigerians to help secure the freedom of the abducted victims without the use of force.
Oyo teachers protest
colleagues’ abduction,
killing
This came as teachers shut down classroom activities in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, and staged a peaceful protest to the TESCOM office in the town over the recent abduction of students and teachers, which resulted in the killing of one teacher.
The protesters marched with placards bearing various inscriptions, calling on governments at all levels to intensify efforts toward securing the release of those currently being held captive by kidnappers.
The teachers also demanded improved security around schools and safer learning environments for both staff and students.
Tinubu assures on
rescue of kidnapped
victims
Reacting to the development, President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, condemned as barbaric, the reported killing of one of the abducted teachers, while the rescue operation is underway.
He said security operatives are working around the clock to rescue the victims and apprehend the bandits and their collaborators within the community.
President Tinubu also sympathised with Governor Seyi Makinde, the government and the people of Oyo State for the unfortunate incident and assured them that the Federal Government would collaborate with the state government to rescue the victims.
The President, in a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, was quoted as saying: “I am saddened by the reported killing of one of the teachers kidnapped by the gunmen who invaded the community. I sympathise with Governor Seyi Makinde and commend the steps he has taken on the matter. I sympathise with the families of the kidnapped victims.
“The Federal Government is working with the Oyo State government to rescue all the victims. I commend the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioners of Police in Oyo and Kwara States for their quick intervention and the deployment of a tactical and the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, team to rescue the victims.
“The IGP, following my instructions, is personally leading the tech-driven operation. We expect a breakthrough soon. The bandits and all their local collaborators will be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law.
“Cases of kidnapping further make imperative the establishment of state police to man some of our underserved areas. The National Assembly should accelerate the enactment of the law creating state police”, the President said.
We won’t give in to terror
— Makinde
Governor Makinde, who declared that his administration will not surrender to terror following the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, said his government is prepared to listen to the demands of the abductors to secure the safe release of the victims.
Makinde made the declaration while addressing reporters in Ibadan, on the ongoing rescue efforts after gunmen attacked three schools and abducted pupils and teachers last Friday.
The governor confirmed that seven students were abducted from Community Secondary School, while 18 children and seven teachers were kidnapped from First Baptist Primary and Nursery School, disclosing that one person was killed during the attack.
“Now we are able to confirm conclusively that at the Community Secondary School, about seven students were abducted, while at the First Baptist Primary and Nursery School, 18 children were abducted and about seven teachers were also involved. And unfortunately, like I reported yesterday, one of them was killed,“ Makinde said.
He stated that security operations to rescue the victims were still ongoing, describing the situation as “fluid and difficult”.
“The operation is still ongoing. Yes, it is still a very fluid and difficult situation that our troops on the ground are faced with,” the governor said.
Makinde appealed to journalists and the public to avoid sensationalising the incident, noting that lives were at stake.
“This is not something sensational. It involves lives. So please, if you are not clear about anything, you can ask us and we will gladly volunteer the information,” he said.
He disclosed that the government had established an operational centre at the state Police Headquarters to coordinate information relating to the rescue mission.
“We have set up an operational centre at the Police Headquarters here. So, the Commissioner of Police in the state will be in a position to give you the required information.“
“At this stage, due to the complexity of the operation going on, we may not be able to volunteer too much information. But we will definitely call you if something significant comes up,“ he added.
Speaking on reports surrounding the state government’s procurement of surveillance aircraft, Makinde said the aircraft had already arrived in Nigeria and were currently being reassembled at the Nigerian Air Force base in Lagos by manufacturers from China.
He said: “The surveillance aircraft have arrived in the country. As of today, they are at the Nigerian Air Force hangar in Lagos being reassembled.
“The manufacturers from China arrived in the country about three days ago. They should have about two weeks roughly to finish their work. So I can say conclusively that those surveillance aircraft will be in operation before the end of June.”
On whether the government had established communication with the abductors to understand their grievances, Makinde stressed the need for citizens to support security agencies with timely information.
“What I can say first and foremost is that the citizens and residents of every area in Oyo State must also give timely information to the government.“
“For me, I would just say, if you see something strange, say something, and then expect us to do something. We will keep engaging with the citizens,“ he said.
When children are
hunted in classrooms,
silence becomes
complicity — CAN
In a related development, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has condemned the abduction of the schoolchildren and teachers, warning that the growing wave of kidnappings and attacks on schools is spreading insecurity into parts of the country once considered relatively safe.
The body said the broad daylight invasion of multiple schools showed how rapidly insecurity was spreading beyond its traditional flashpoints, leaving pupils, teachers and rural communities increasingly vulnerable to armed gangs.
The association, in a statement by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said: “When children are hunted in classrooms, silence becomes complicity and delay becomes dangerous. Nigeria must act decisively to defeat these criminal networks before more innocent lives are destroyed.”
CAN president said it was outraged that heavily armed attackers were able to storm several schools, terrorise residents, kill innocent people and abduct pupils and teachers in broad daylight.
“This is not merely another security incident. It is a national disgrace and a frightening reminder that organised criminal violence is spreading into parts of the country once considered relatively secure,” he added.
Mourning the reported killing of an assistant headmaster, the CAN leader said: “Their sacrifice must never be forgotten, and those responsible must be identified, apprehended and prosecuted without hesitation.”
According to the association, many Nigerians have grown weary of “condolences without consequences and promises without protection” as kidnappings and violent attacks continue to spread into new parts of the country.
It said: “What was once concentrated in parts of northern Nigeria is now spreading dangerously into the South-West and other regions, threatening national stability, public confidence and the safety of future generations.
“No parent should ever have to watch helplessly as their child is dragged into the forest by gunmen. No teacher should have to choose between educating children and risking abduction or death.
“Safe school initiatives must no longer exist only on paper while students and teachers remain exposed to terror. Rural communities, forest corridors and known criminal hideouts must be aggressively secured, monitored and reclaimed without delay.”
LAUTECH is safe
— Management
Meanwhile, as people in and around Ogbomosho are expressing fear about their safety following the incident, the management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, located in the town has given the assurance that students and staff of the university have nothing to fear.
Speaking in a chat with Vanguard, the spokesman, Mr Lekan Fadeyi, also conveyed the sympathy of the institution to the families and victims of the attacks and abduction.
Fadeyi said: “We want to assure the staff and students of our great institution that all is well and that there is no cause for alarm. It is unfortunate that the husband of the principal of the affected secondary school is a staff member here. Colleagues and other staff members and even students have been showing the needed solidarity with the professor.
“The management of the university is also not resting on their oars. They are making all the necessary moves to see to the safe return of the kidnapped persons. We also pray for divine intervention that all ends well.”
No nation thrives when
children are hunted
— Gbenga Hashim
Meanwhile, former presidential candidate, Dr Gbenga Hashim, has condemned the abduction of schoolchildren in Borno State and the coordinated attacks on schools in Oyo State, warning that repeated attacks on learning institutions are pushing fear deeper into communities and putting the future of thousands of children at risk.
Hashim, in a statement, described the incidents as a ‘brutal assault’ on Nigeria’s future and called for an urgent national response to protect schoolchildren and reassure frightened families and communities.
He said: “Schools must never become theatres of fear,” warning that repeated attacks on schools could deepen insecurity and leave lasting scars across generations.
Hashim urged the Federal Government and security agencies to move swiftly to secure the safe rescue of the abducted children, saying the attacks had, once again, exposed weaknesses in Nigeria’s rural security structure.
, where armed groups continue to exploit poor state presence and unprotected communities.
“This tragedy is a stark reminder that tactical victories alone cannot secure the nation,” he said, referring to the recent killing of an ISIS commander during a joint Nigerian–US operation.
Hashim also urged the international community not to ignore the worsening security situation in Northern Nigeria, cautioning that the crisis could spill beyond Nigeria into the wider West and Central African region.
“The world must not become desensitised,” he said.
He also sympathised with affected families, warning that repeated attacks on schools were steadily eroding confidence in education and public safety.
Also, Sooko Agoriesin of Ile-Ife, Oladotun Hassan, has described the incident as a disturbing tragedy that must never be allowed to continue in the country.
In a statement, Hassan, who doubles as the Aare Yoruba Agbaye, lamented the growing insecurity confronting schools and rural communities, saying the attack on innocent pupils, teachers and residents represents a direct threat to the future of education and national peace.
He described the killings recorded during the incident, including that of an abducted teacher, Mr Michael Oyedokun, Assistant Headmaster Joel Adesiyan and others, as barbaric, wicked and unacceptable.
