The Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, has deployed more detectives from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, to collaborate with the joint security team as part of intensified efforts to secure the release of the abducted teachers and students of three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
An informed police source told The PUNCH in Ibadan on Tuesday that the deployment was aimed at rescuing the victims unhurt.
The source said, “More detectives have been deployed from the Force Headquarters to collaborate with the joint security operatives already on the ground.
“The kidnapped students and their teachers will soon breathe the air of freedom as the government and the relevant security agencies are leaving no stone unturned.
“The security agencies will explore all opportunities to ensure that the students return safely to their parents. There is no cause for the parents and the people of the state to be apprehensive as the government is on top of the situation.”
The PUNCH reports that scores of teachers and students of Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School; and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area of the state were abducted during coordinated attacks on Friday around 9:30am.
Governor Seyi Makinde had earlier 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, adding that one person was killed during the attack.
This came as palpable fear gripped residents of Ogbomoso over an alleged invasion of the town by bandits.
The panic saw parents rush to schools to take their children home, while some schools hurriedly shut down.
There were also rumours that bandits had infiltrated Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.
A resident of Ogbomoso, Kazeem Abdullah, said students and pupils in both public and private primary schools jumped through windows and fled their classrooms and school premises.
“Many parents compounded the problem as they started rushing to their children’s schools to pick them up,” he said.
Reports also emerged from Ajaawa, headquarters of Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area, that bandits were disrupting peace in the area.
However, the Oyo State Police Command described the alleged infiltration of bandits into Ogbomoso as a false alarm.
The command, in a statement by its Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, said the panic stemmed from claims by some students that unfamiliar faces were sighted behind the school fence.
The police said investigations revealed that the individuals were an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps attached to the Kwara State Command, Ilorin, alongside two civilians in a Toyota Venza SUV.
The statement read, “The individuals were questioned and explained that they had merely visited the lady among them in celebration of her birthday.
“During verification and due diligence, relevant NSCDC authorities in Ogbomoso were contacted to confirm the identity and status of the officer involved.
“It was further observed that during the interaction, an altercation reportedly occurred between some teachers and the visitors, which inadvertently heightened suspicion within the school premises.
“Consequently, some students began spreading unverified claims to neighbouring schools and surrounding communities, thereby escalating panic and tension across parts of Ogbomoso and Ajaawa before the actual facts of the incident were established.”
The command added that it had intensified patrols and visibility policing around the affected communities, while critical stakeholders had been engaged to reassure residents and restore public confidence.
“The area remains peaceful, while normal academic, commercial and social activities have since resumed.
“The command, therefore, warns against the deliberate spread of fake news, misinformation and unverified security reports capable of causing unnecessary panic, heightening tension and undermining public peace,” the statement added.
Similarly, the management of LAUTECH dismissed reports that the institution had been shut over fears of an attack by suspected bandits.
A statement by the institution’s Registrar, Olayinka Balogun, said there was no truth in the rumour circulating about the closure of the university.
Balogun said there was no reason for such action.
The statement read, “This is to strongly debunk the rumour making the rounds that the management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, has closed down the university for fear of invasion by bandits.
“This is to inform our students, parents and guardians that there is no reason for management to shut down the university. The institution remains in session.
“As a matter of fact, our students are currently writing their examinations, and the exercise continues on Wednesday. Management regrets any inconvenience this unfounded rumour may have caused.”
Meanwhile, traditional rulers in the five local government areas of Ogbomosoland on Tuesday called for the establishment of a military base in Oriire LGA.
The monarchs said the move would help curb crimes, particularly attacks by armed bandits.
Speaking during the meeting, the Alapa of Apa, Akin Akintola, lamented the worsening insecurity around forest communities in Ogbomoso and adjoining areas.
He said, “We, the traditional rulers, are demanding immediate federal intervention, including the establishment of a military formation close to the forest reserve in Oriire Local Government Area.
“We are requesting that a military base be sited very close to the forest reserve. If we have soldiers and artillery stationed there, it will provide protection for many communities in this zone.”
The monarch stressed that while police officers had been making efforts, the scale and sophistication of the attacks now required military operations.
“I don’t think the police can handle this alone. If you establish only a police station, it may cover just two or three communities. But a military base will offer broader protection and help secure the entire area.
“South-West has now been infiltrated by bandits. We do not have the capacity or the wherewithal to confront these people ourselves. That is why we are appealing to the Federal Government to act urgently,” Akintola added.
The monarchs specifically appealed to President Bola Tinubu, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to approve the establishment of a military base in the Ogbomoso zone, particularly around Oriire and nearby forest corridors.
“Our people can no longer sleep peacefully. Farmers are afraid to go to their farms because of the fear of attacks and abduction,” the monarch said.
The royal fathers warned that banditry, once associated mainly with parts of northern Nigeria, was gradually spreading into the South-West, creating fear among rural dwellers and threatening agricultural activities.
“Lives have been lost. Families are in agony, and many victims are still in captivity several days after the incident. The election period is approaching, and many of the people who are supposed to vote have already been displaced by bandits. Without adequate security, they may not even be able to participate in the democratic process,” he added.
OPC offers help
The Oodua People’s Congress also called on South-West governors to authorise and equip local security groups to confront armed gangs operating across the region following the abduction and killing of pupils and teachers in parts of Oyo State.
The OPC President, Wasiu Afolabi, accused political leaders in Yoruba-speaking states of failing to act despite repeated warnings over worsening insecurity.
“The kidnapping, killing and beheading of our defenceless Yoruba kinsmen in Yorubaland is not only condemnable, but it also is highly provocative, and it will not be tolerated,” Afolabi said.
“We hereby urge the government to permit and equip the OPC and other self-determination groups to confront the threat posed by terrorists in order to terminate the insecurity being imported into Yorubaland from the North.”
The organisation said the latest attacks, including the reported abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in the Ogbomoso area, had exposed the vulnerability of rural communities and schools across the South-West.
“Yorubaland is under attack. Long ago, we warned and shouted. But our leaders continued to play politics and refused to act on the matter. Now we must face the reality that the enemies have surrounded us,” Afolabi said.
He argued that insecurity had reached a point where ordinary activities such as farming, travelling and schooling had become dangerous for many residents.
“We will not tolerate a situation where our children cannot safely attend school, where our people cannot travel or where our farmers cannot farm because of some foreign elements.
“The time has come to take the bull by the horns and confront these unprovoked, cold-blooded and needless killings,” he added.
The organisation warned that delays in confronting armed groups operating from forest corridors across the South-West would allow them to expand their influence and entrench criminal networks deeper into local communities.
“OPC wants governors in Yoruba-speaking South-West and beyond to urgently invite all vigilante, hunter and militant groups to join the war against terrorism in Yorubaland.
“Governors must immediately declare a state of emergency and get all hands on board to collaborate with the security forces to restore peace to our native land,” the statement added.
The group renewed calls for the creation of state police structures, arguing that localised security arrangements had become necessary amid growing pressure on federal security agencies.
“We cannot fold our arms anymore and wait for bandits and terrorists to be entering our homes, towns and villages to kidnap and kill at will. Enough is enough.
“The government must rise up, support and equip patriotic and willing individuals and groups like OPC to enter the forests to restore sanity,” Afolabi said.
Igboho battle-ready
Also, activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, said he and others were battle-ready to flush marauders out of forests in the South-West.
“We are battle-ready with our men to storm these forests and flush out marauders who have made life miserable for our people. We cannot continue to fold our hands while our people are being murdered and abducted by bandits, herders and kidnappers,” he said.
He urged traditional rulers to prevail on government authorities to speedily approve the take-off of the Iru Ekun Security Network to address insecurity in the region.
“I’m only awaiting government approval to tackle the growing insecurity ravaging the South-West head-on,” he added.
PFN condemns abduction
Similarly, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria said Friday’s incident pointed to a deepening national security crisis and a collapse of government responsibility to protect citizens.
In a statement issued through its media bureau, the PFN National President, Francis Oke, condemned the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers and the killing of Michael Oyedokun.
“The leadership of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria condemns in the strongest terms the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers and the brutal beheading of Mr Michael Oyedokun,” the statement read.
The cleric said the attack on Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, in Oriire Local Government Area had become another painful symbol of the country’s worsening insecurity, particularly in rural communities and schools.
“Each new incident is an indictment of the Federal Government and exposes the failure of those assurances. Most disgraceful is the continued abduction of pupils across the country. No child should be forced to live in fear,” Oke said.
He added that the safety of the abducted pupils, teachers and staff remained the organisation’s immediate concern.
“Our hearts are bleeding. We watched with horror the video released by the perpetrators, showing our brother, a devoted educator, bound, humiliated and beheaded.
“This is not merely a heinous crime; it is a sacrilege against the sanctity of life, an assault on the teaching vocation and a direct attack on the future of our nation,” the statement added.
The fellowship extended condolences to the family of the slain teacher and the affected community.
“We extend our deepest condolences to Mr Oyedokun’s family, to the bereaved Community High School, and to the people of Oriire Local Government Area. May God comfort them in this hour of unspeakable loss,” the statement read.
The PFN described the attack as a national failure of governance and security.
“That such an atrocity could occur constitutes a national disgrace of the highest order. When armed gangs storm rural schools, kill those who resist and carry away pupils and educators with impunity, the social contract between the state and the citizen is shattered.
“We are past the time for promises. We are tired of promises. What we want are actions that will sweep away insurgency,” Oke stated.
The Christian body said it had repeatedly warned that kidnapping, armed banditry and insurgent violence were spreading across the country and could no longer be treated as isolated regional threats.
“The blood of Mr Oyedokun cries out for justice, not platitudes. For years, PFN warned that insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, if left unchecked, would metastasise across Nigeria. Today, those warnings have come to pass. The same brutality once confined to the North has crossed the Niger,” the statement added.
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