The Nigeria Police Force has reinforced ongoing rescue operations for abducted teachers and students taken from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, following rising panic across Ogbomoso and nearby communities.
Additional detectives from the Force Headquarters in Abuja were reportedly deployed by the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to work alongside joint security operatives already combing the area for the victims.
A police source disclosed that authorities were making coordinated efforts to ensure the safe release of the abducted pupils and teachers without harm. According to the source, security agencies are exploring every possible strategy to bring the victims home safely while maintaining pressure on the kidnappers.
The abduction occurred last Friday when armed men attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School in Esiele around 9:30 a.m. During the incident, several pupils, students, and teachers were taken away.
Governor Seyi Makinde had earlier confirmed that seven secondary school students, 18 primary school pupils, and seven teachers were abducted. He also revealed that one victim lost his life during the attack.
The incident sparked widespread fear across Ogbomoso, with rumours circulating that bandits had invaded parts of the town and surrounding communities. Parents rushed to schools to pick up their children, while some schools reportedly shut down temporarily over security concerns.
There were also speculations that suspected bandits had infiltrated Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, causing anxiety among students and residents.
However, the Oyo State Police Command dismissed the claims as false. Police spokesperson, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, explained that the panic began after some students noticed unfamiliar individuals near a school fence and wrongly assumed they were kidnappers.
Investigations later showed that the individuals included a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps officer attached to the Kwara State Command and two civilians who had visited the area for a birthday celebration.
Police authorities stated that misunderstandings between the visitors and some teachers escalated tensions, leading students to spread unverified information to neighbouring schools and communities.
The command reassured residents that normal activities had resumed and that security patrols had been intensified across affected locations. Authorities also warned against spreading false security reports capable of creating unnecessary fear.
Similarly, the management of LAUTECH denied rumours that the institution had been shut down because of insecurity. The university clarified that academic activities and examinations were ongoing as scheduled.
Meanwhile, traditional rulers across Ogbomosoland have appealed to the Federal Government to establish a military base in Oriire Local Government Area to tackle the growing threat of banditry and kidnappings in forest communities.
Speaking on behalf of the monarchs, the Alapa of Apa, Oba Akin Akintola, stressed that the security situation had worsened beyond the capacity of conventional policing alone. He argued that military presence near the forest reserve would provide broader protection for communities frequently targeted by armed groups.
The monarchs also expressed concerns that insecurity, once concentrated in parts of northern Nigeria, was gradually spreading deeper into the South-West and threatening farming activities and rural livelihoods.
In separate reactions, the Oodua People’s Congress and Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Igboho urged South-West governors to empower local security outfits and vigilante groups to confront criminal gangs operating within the region’s forests.
OPC President, Wasiu Afolabi, accused political leaders of failing to respond adequately to repeated warnings about worsening insecurity in Yorubaland. He called for stronger collaboration between security agencies, hunters, vigilantes, and local groups.
Sunday Igboho also declared that his proposed Iru Ekun Security Network was prepared to confront kidnappers and armed gangs but was awaiting official approval from authorities before commencing operations.
Religious leaders also joined the growing condemnation of the attack. The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria described the abduction and killing of a teacher, Michael Oyedokun, as a national tragedy and evidence of deepening insecurity across the country.
The Christian body stated that attacks on schools and innocent civilians represented a dangerous collapse of public safety and urged the government to move beyond promises by taking decisive action against armed criminal groups.
