Fresh outrage erupted across Nigeria on Sunday after videos showing abducted teachers and pupils from schools in Oyo State pleading for rescue circulated widely on social media, prompting renewed calls for urgent government action to stem the spread of bandit violence into the south-west.
The victims were kidnapped on Friday after heavily armed men riding motorcycles attacked three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area: Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele; and L.A. Primary School.
Among those abducted were pupils, students and teaching staff, including the principal of Community High School, Mrs Alamu. Police also confirmed the killing of an assistant headmaster, Mr Adesiyan, during the raid, while a commercial motorcyclist was reportedly shot dead after resisting attempts by the attackers to seize his motorcycle.
One of the videos circulating online featured Mrs Alamu alongside a teacher at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Temitope Mary Dahunsi, appealing to the federal and state governments, religious leaders and Nigerians to intervene before lives were lost.
Speaking from captivity, a visibly distressed Alamu said staff and students had remained in the custody of their abductors since the attack on Friday morning.
“I am Mrs Alamu F.R. I am the Principal of Community High School in Oriire Local Government of Oyo State,” she said in the footage. “On Friday, around 9:30am, we were attacked by a certain group of people and a good number of us were abducted, the staff and the students as well.”
She appealed directly to Bola Tinubu, Seyi Makinde, the Christian Association of Nigeria and “well-meaning Nigerians” to ensure a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
In a separate video, Dahunsi said abducted children had been crying continuously since the attack and urged authorities to secure their immediate release.
“We need help from our President Bola Tinubu, our state governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde and all Nigerians,” she said. “The children are here crying so that we will not waste our lives.”
The Nigeria Police Force confirmed that it had received the videos and said forensic analysis was underway to determine their authenticity and assist ongoing rescue operations.
In a statement issued in Ibadan by the Oyo police spokesperson, Olayinka Ayanlade, the command said security agencies were intensifying intelligence-led operations to secure the victims’ release and apprehend those responsible.
The police urged residents to remain calm and avoid circulating unverified information capable of escalating tension, warning that criminal groups often exploited panic and misinformation.
The abductions also drew condemnation from the Senate, with Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele describing the kidnappings in Oyo and Borno State as “an attack on the future of Nigeria”.
Bamidele said the incidents underscored the urgent need for the creation of state police as part of wider constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture.
He said the National Assembly was already at an advanced stage in amending the 1999 Constitution to allow for state policing and pledged that lawmakers would prioritise outstanding security legislation when plenary resumes in June.
“The incessant abduction of students and teachers is a tragic national concern that negates our national development indices,” Bamidele said. “We cannot and must not allow it to continue.”
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere also warned that “Yorubaland is now under siege”, arguing that recent attacks suggested armed groups were increasingly targeting the south-west.
In a statement by its publicity secretary, Jare Ajayi, the group said its leader, Reuben Fasoranti, was deeply saddened by the attack and called for stronger action from state governments to confront the deteriorating security situation.
Afenifere cited a series of recent kidnappings and attacks across Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti and Kwara states as evidence that violent criminal networks were expanding their reach beyond traditional conflict zones.
“The chilling reality thus detonated the earlier notion that the south-western part of Nigeria was a safe haven considered relatively insulated from extremist violence,” the organisation said.
The group questioned whether security measures previously announced by south-west governors — including surveillance aircraft, regional security initiatives and CCTV projects — had been effectively deployed to prevent attacks.
Afenifere nevertheless commended the recent visit by the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and the inauguration of a police violent crime response unit in Ibadan, expressing hope that the initiatives would improve the region’s security response.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government said rescue efforts were ongoing and insisted that authorities were determined to secure the safe return of all abducted victims.
Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal, who led a government delegation to affected communities on Sunday, said security forces, local hunters and intelligence operatives were actively pursuing the attackers in nearby forests.
“Oyo State is not giving an inch for banditry and criminality,” Lawal said. “The government is doing everything required to ensure adequate security so that citizens can live in peace.”
He added that officials were still verifying the exact number of abducted victims and warned against relying on unofficial figures circulating online.
According to Lawal, security operatives had already engaged the gunmen in the bush, killing at least three suspected kidnappers during ongoing operations.
The deputy governor said the attacks highlighted the growing threat posed by armed groups operating around forest corridors and border communities in parts of the south-west.
He pledged that the government would continue strengthening security measures in vulnerable areas including Saki West, Saki East, Irepo, Iseyin, Ibarapa, Igbeti and Oriire.
“We are asking residents to remain vigilant,” Lawal said. “If you notice any unusual movement, report it to security agencies so that prompt action can be taken.”
