An advocacy group, the Oyo Global Forum, has condemned the abduction of pupils and the killing of two persons during Friday’s attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, warning that organised banditry is spreading deeper into the South-west region.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Taiwo Hassan Adebayo, the group described the attack on Ahoro-Esinele community as a dangerous signal of worsening insecurity in the region.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that armed hoodlums invaded Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, as well as Community Grammar School and L.A Primary School in Ahoro-Esinele, Oriire Local Government Area of the state, abducting several pupils, students and staff members, including a vice principal.
The police also confirmed that an assistant headmaster identified as Mr Adesiyan and an okada rider were killed during the attack.
Reacting to the incident, the Oyo Global Forum said community sources indicated that the attack began around 10 a.m. and was carried out by more than 30 gunmen riding motorcycles and dressed in army uniforms.
According to the group, the attackers allegedly moved the abducted victims into the Old Oyo National Park after the operation.
In January, Premium Times reported that armed men invaded the Old Oyo National Park, killing five forest guards in a coordinated attack on National Park Service personnel,
“It is a dangerous signal that organised banditry and terrorism are advancing deeper into Southwestern Nigeria despite repeated warnings in recent years,” the statement said.
The group called on security agencies and all levels of government to take immediate action to secure the release of the abducted pupils and prevent further attacks in vulnerable communities.
“We demand immediate and decisive action from security agencies and all levels of government to secure the safe rescue of the abducted pupils without delay.
“Every hour of slow response emboldens these armed criminal groups and increases the risk of further attacks across vulnerable communities and adjoining forest corridors linked to Kwara and Niger States,” the statement said.
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The organisation said the attack should not be treated as an isolated incident but as a broader national security threat requiring sustained military and intelligence operations.
It also urged the government to strengthen rural policing, improve forest surveillance and establish an early warning and rapid response system in collaboration with local communities.
“The people of Oyo State, particularly the northern axis linked with Kwara through poorly governed forest corridors, must not be left exposed to terror,” the statement added.