Oyo State

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A high-level Federal Government delegation on Sunday visited Esiele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State following the abduction of pupils and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School on May 15, 2026.

The visit came as part of immediate federal interventions aimed at strengthening security in the area. President Bola Tinubu subsequently approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State in collaboration with the state government.

The delegation also informed community leaders and lawmakers that the request for the establishment of a military base in the affected area would be transmitted to the President for consideration and possible approval.

In addition, the President directed a specialised security unit with advanced rescue capabilities to intensify operations aimed at securing the release of the abducted pupils and teachers.

The delegation was led by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. Other members included the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa; and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare.

Gbajabiamila, who addressed residents in English and Yoruba, said the President’s decision to send top security officials to the affected communities reflected his commitment to ensuring the safe return of the victims.

“Mr. President is deeply troubled by this incident. Whatever it takes, our children and teachers will be brought back home safely.

“He has issued all necessary directives and is providing every support required by our security agencies to achieve that objective.

“Your pain and anxiety are understood. By the grace of God, your children will return safely to your arms.

“Mr. President also saw the appeals from some parents and community members urging caution in the rescue efforts. Let me assure you that the operation will be intelligence-led and carefully coordinated, deploying both kinetic and non-kinetic measures to secure the safe return of the victims,” he said.

The delegation also visited the palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso land, HRM Kabiyesi Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, to commiserate with him and members of his domain.

They further met the wife of a deceased school teacher, Mrs. Mary Oyedokun, alongside her two children, where the Chief of Staff conveyed the President’s condolences and assurance of support for the family.

By Uzair Adam 

No fewer than 45 pupils were abducted during a coordinated attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday, triggering widespread panic and grief across affected communities.

The schools targeted include Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Esiele, and L.A. Primary School. 

Residents said the attackers stormed the area in the early hours, disrupting school activities and whisking away children and some teachers.

A teacher at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Elizabeth Olagoke, recounted that the gunmen arrived around 8 am on motorcycles, speaking Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin English. She explained that they fired sporadically, creating chaos before moving into classrooms.

“They came into my class first and tried to take me along with a child I was carrying,” she said, noting that she managed to escape after pleading with them. 

According to her, the assailants operated for only a few minutes but left with dozens of pupils drawn from Yawota, Esiele, and Alausa communities. 

She added that a teacher was also abducted, while motorcycles were stolen and a rider killed during the нападение.

The traditional ruler of Esiele, Oba Tajudeen Abioye, confirmed that about 45 pupils were taken, adding that efforts were underway to secure their release. 

A former lawmaker, Bamigboye Abidoye, said the number of abducted pupils from one of the schools alone was significant, while several teachers were also taken from the secondary school.

Security sources disclosed that three suspects had been arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, assuring that operations were ongoing to rescue the victims.

Meanwhile, parents of the abducted children expressed anguish over the incident. One mother, Ajarah Ayanwale, said the attackers initially deceived residents by posing as security personnel.

“We thought they came to protect us,” she said, explaining that panic set in when gunshots followed shortly after.

Another parent, Shukurat Pius, whose young son was taken, said some pupils escaped through windows, but younger children who could not flee were captured. She pleaded with authorities to ensure the safe return of the victims.

For Nafisat Agunle, the ordeal has been devastating since her child went missing. 

She described sleepless nights and constant searching, while Adijat Ibrahim said she still hopes her son will return home.

Other parents narrated similar experiences, with some losing more than one child in the attack. A resident, Gabriel Sunday, said two of his children were abducted while one managed to escape through the bush.

Amid growing fears, security operatives have reportedly surrounded forest areas near the communities, particularly around the Old Oyo National Park axis, where the attackers are believed to have fled. 

The state government said joint teams comprising the Nigerian Army, police, and local security outfits had launched coordinated rescue operations.

Authorities in neighbouring South-West states have also heightened surveillance and deployed additional security personnel to schools and vulnerable communities to prevent further attacks.

Security experts and regional leaders have warned that the нападение signals a growing threat in the South-West, urging stronger collaboration between governments and local security groups to address the worsening situation.

Despite ongoing efforts, uncertainty remains over the exact number of abducted pupils, complicating rescue operations. 

Officials, however, insist that efforts are being intensified to locate the victims and restore calm to the affected communities.

By Muhammad Abubakar

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has distanced itself from an incident involving the alleged discrimination against a hijab-wearing candidate at the Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre in Ibadan.

In a statement shared on his verified social media account, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, said the Board became aware of the incident during its routine monitoring of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) screening process on Thursday.

According to him, the situation occurred during the first session of the examination day and was traced to an “overzealous” ad hoc staff member who acted in violation of established guidelines. He stressed that the action was neither authorised by JAMB nor part of the official procedures at the centre.

Benjamin noted that the Board immediately intervened, directing that no candidate wearing a hijab should be asked to remove or alter it under any circumstances. He added that the staff member involved had been cautioned accordingly.

“JAMB respects the religious beliefs and customs of all Nigerians,” he said, assuring candidates that their rights to religious expression, including mode of dressing, remain protected.

The Board further disclosed that all ad hoc personnel across examination centres have been re-briefed on proper screening procedures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

By Uzair Adam

In a recent operation, Nigerian Army troops successfully eliminated five terrorists affiliated with the Islamic West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Bama Local Government Area, Borno State.

The clash with the terrorists resulted in the recovery of significant arms and ammunition, including two Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) bombs, two Dane guns, an RPG bomb charger, an AK-47 rifle magazine, 23 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, and six motorcycles.

Additionally, the troops recovered assorted medications and rustled cattle.During ongoing operations in the North East, the Army reported that 44 Boko Haram terrorists and their families have surrendered in Bama, Dikwa, and Gwoza Local Government Areas.

In Plateau State, the Army apprehended a notorious cattle rustler, Mallam Maawuya Shuaibu, in Mararaban Kantom, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

Shuaibu, previously on security agencies’ watch lists, was arrested with 32 stolen cows.

In Bayelsa State, a raid in Korokorosie Community led to the arrest of Mr. Donald Emason, who was found with a revolver pistol and two locally made guns.

In Oyo State, Mohammed Bello, 33, was detained in Akinyele Local Government Area for allegedly supplying arms to a kidnap syndicate.

These operations highlight the Nigerian Army’s ongoing commitment to addressing terrorism and criminal activities nationwide.

• News Desk

Oyo State branch of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has waded into the case of rape inside the mosque in Ibadan where a Muslim woman was raped inside a mosque by one Idris, a.k.a. Kesari Rekereke.  

In a press statement released on Wednesday, 1^st February 2023, by Ustadh Ibrahim Agunbiade, the ambassador of MURIC in Oyo State, the group warned that the case must not be swept under the carpet.

MURIC confirmed that the suspect is Kesari Rekereke. The group further noted that Kesari Rekereke is the son of a transport union leader known as Almajiri of the Oyo State National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).  

The Islamic human rights organisation called for the prosecution of Idris and warned that the case must not be swept under the carpet. Although MURIC commended the police for arresting the culprit, it maintained that justice must not only be done in this case, it must be seen to have been done.

The group also appealed to Muslims in the state to refrain from attempting any reprisal attack.

Dear sir, dear all,

That security of this country is in a coma is no news. That Ogbomoso, the land of the valiant in Oyo State, is under the siege of abductors is also an incontestable fact.

 In the dead of night on Monday, September 19, 2022, along the express, in Gbede, Surulere local government area, a man identified as Alhaji Yisa Agric was reportedly abducted from his house brazenly. This is shocking. 

Several heinous abductions of innocent inhabitants of Ogbomoso were recorded weeks earlier. One of the attacks, which led to the death of a student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo state and some people, exacerbated the ire of the people the most. 

Consequently, a rally which was graced with an avalanche of people was launched to engage in the public debate on the issue. After the demonstration, no reported kidnapping case was heard, at least in August. This was jubilated, not knowing their ram moved backwards in anger to garner more power.

The attention of the Oyo State government under the leadership of a good governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde is herein called to this menace of insecurity in Ogbomoso, which is bedevilling his good administration, for hasty panacea be preferred before it goes haywire. 

Also, the philanthropists are beseeched to financially sponsor the unconventional security personnel to launch a manhunt to arrest the unscrupulous perpetrators of the dastardly acts. The earlier, the better.

Olayode Inaolaji wrote from Ogbomoso, Oyo State, via inaolajiolayode@yahoo.com.

By Muhammad Sabiu

Former Lagos State governor and leader of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has expressed his confidence that he would win the 2023 presidential election, noting that stakeholders’ reactions are behind his optimism of becoming the president.

Mr Tinubu stated this when he paid a visit yesterday to Rashidi Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State.

Mr Tinubu was quoted as saying, “Life is a challenge, and you must be ready to confront challenges and overcome. I have the confidence that I will overcome any form of challenge.

“The reactions of critical stakeholders to my presidential ambition have been very positive, encouraging and overwhelming, and these have spurred me on with the strong conviction that we would succeed and emerge victorious after the election.

“We are forging ahead, and with the strong support of the masses of Nigerians, we are going to achieve a resounding victory.”

Recall that the APC leader had told President Muhammadu Buhari that he was interested in contesting for the office of the president come 2023.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A former governor of Oyo State, Christopher Alao-Akala, is dead.

Alao-Akala died on Wednesday at the age of 71. The sad development was confirmed by the Publicity Secretary of the state chapter of the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, Dr Olatunde Abdulazeez.

Dr Olatunde, in affirming the news, said, “The news of his death is out. He did his best for the state, May his soul rest in peace.”

Mr Alao-Akala was the governor of Oyo State from January 12, 2006, to December 12, 2006. He was also elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2007 as the Executive Governor of Oyo State, where he served till May 2011.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Two suspected kidnappers have been reportedly killed by men of the southwest security outfit, popularly known as Amotekun, in Iwajowa Local Government Area, Oyo State

The state Commandant of Amotekun, Olayinka Olayanju, told journalists that the kidnappers were killed during an operation by the Amotekun security outfit on Friday, July 30.

HumAngle, an online newspaper, quoted him as saying, “It is true. There was an operation yesterday afternoon.

“With the support of local vigilantes and hunters, we killed two of them,” he added

Recall that reports indicated that the kidnappers launched an attack on Iwere Ile town on Friday in a failed attempt to abduct some community residents. Officers of Amotekun engaged the assailants in a gun duel and eliminated two of them.

Killings and kidnappings are not a threat only in Northern Nigeria—the southwest is also badly hit by the menace.