Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A member of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused some residents of Oyo State’s Oriire Local Government Area of acting as informants for the terrorists who abducted over 46 schoolchildren and teachers on May 15, 2026. Alwan Hassan, an APC member, made the assertion during an interview on Arise Television on Saturday, June 6, 2026, while insisting that the government is making progress despite the prolonged captivity of the victims.
“The government is on top of the security situation and will not rest until everyone in this country is safe. The president is concerned about insecurity. The NSA is actively addressing it, and several arrests have been made in Oyo State in connection with the students who were kidnapped,” Hassan said on Arise TV. His comments came as authorities confirmed that the victims—pupils from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School—remain in captivity nearly four weeks after the attack, which also claimed the life of a teacher and a commercial motorcyclist. The abduction targeted three schools in two remote farming communities roughly five minutes apart by road.
Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo North) provided chilling details, revealing that the attackers had laid sophisticated groundwork. “A local woman sold beans and bread to the kidnappers days before the attack,” he said, explaining that the traders had unusually high sales, between N10,000 and N20,000 daily, compared to their normal N1,000 earnings, in the two days leading up to the raid, as the gunmen posed as customers to survey the area. The attackers moved strategically, first seizing nine students from Yawota before striking a second school in Esiele and then returning to Yawota for more victims.
The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of at least six suspects linked to the abduction, all identified as local informants and logistical couriers rather than the core bandits, who remain at large. The Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed that intercepted phone calls revealed informants giving the kidnappers detailed directions on navigating the Old Oyo National Park to evade security. Preliminary investigations indicate these accomplices maintained active phone communication with the abductors before, during, and after the attack. However, the command has distanced itself from a viral list circulating on social media that claimed to name additional suspects, warning that such unverified publications could jeopardise active field operations.
The police have also debunked widespread social media reports that claimed the children had been released, clarifying that the victims remain in captivity. On June 4, the command officially dismissed viral claims of a rescue, describing them as “completely false, misleading, and unsubstantiated”.
On June 1, President Bola Tinubu broke his silence, issuing a personally signed statement in which he expressed anguish over the abductions and ordered the deployment of a specialised security unit. The President also approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in collaboration with the Oyo State Government and said a request by affected communities for a military base was under “urgent consideration”. A high-level Federal Government delegation, including the Chief of Staff, the National Security Adviser, and the Inspector-General of Police, later visited the affected communities.
The Oyo State Government has taken a hardline stance. The State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin, has firmly rejected any negotiations with the kidnappers, who have reportedly demanded a N1 billion ransom, two Hilux vehicles, the release of their associates, and the implementation of Sharia law. The Assembly instead called for intensified security operations and the urgent establishment of a military base in the vulnerable forest corridor. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State has embarked on an indefinite strike to protest the security crisis.
As the 23-day mark approaches, the victims’ families have grown increasingly desperate, rejecting relief materials from officials and demanding concrete action. The APC’s suggestion of community complicity has ignited fierce debate, with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accusing the ruling party of shifting blame to deflect attention from systemic security failures. While security forces continue their search operations across the dense Old Oyo National Park, the abducted children and teachers remain trapped, and the nation watches, waiting for a rescue that authorities insist is imminent.
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