Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Fresh details have emerged in the investigation of the May 15, 2026, abduction of pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as the police announced the arrest of six suspects accused of serving as informants to the armed gang. The Oyo State Police Command disclosed that investigators traced the suspects through telephone conversations believed to have been exchanged with the abductors during and after the operation. According to the police, the conversations contained details on how the criminals could successfully navigate routes within the Oyo National Park to hidden locations used as safe havens. The breakthrough led to the arrest of no fewer than six suspects, who are currently in police custody and assisting security agencies with ongoing investigations into the gruesome incident.
The attack, which occurred on the morning of Friday, May 15, 2026, targeted three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis of Ogbomoso: Community Grammar School, Esiele; Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; and L.A. Primary School, Esiele. According to reports, about 12 gunmen on six motorcycles, dressed in military camouflage, stormed the schools shooting indiscriminately. The attackers reportedly communicated in Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin English. A mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was abducted and later beheaded by the captors. A commercial motorcyclist was also killed during the attack. The attack left the community in shock, with residents fleeing in panic as the armed men herded pupils and teachers into the bush.
Governor Seyi Makinde 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. Describing the situation as "fluid and difficult," the governor said security operatives were still carrying out rescue operations in the area. Community leaders, however, compiled a longer list of victims, reporting a total of 46 persons — seven teachers and 39 students — abducted from Community High School Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School. Among the abducted is a two-year-old toddler, Christianah Akanbi, of Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.
The six suspects were arrested during coordinated operations involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and Agro-Rangers. The police spokesman, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the arrests were made possible through intelligence-driven operations. He added that the suspects allegedly served as informants, maintaining phone communication with the armed group before and after the incident. Some of the conversations focused on movement routes and possible hideouts within the Old Oyo National Park axis, believed to have been used by the criminals to evade arrest. The police revealed that the suspects provided information on how the abductors could navigate the national park undetected, a factor that contributed significantly to the successful execution of the attack.
The Oyo State Police Command has assured residents that security agencies are intensifying efforts to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate linked to the attack. The investigation is ongoing, with the police analysing the intercepted phone calls to identify other members of the network. Meanwhile, the families of the abducted victims have been living in anguish. In a viral video that surfaced on social media, the principal of Community High School, Mrs. Alamu Folawe, was seen pleading for help from the Federal Government and Governor Makinde. In the video, she disclosed that the abductors had planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along the routes used by security forces to reach their location. Her plea added to the growing public outcry over the worsening insecurity in the region.
Tragically, on Sunday, May 17, a video emerged showing the beheading of mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun by his captors. The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) condemned the act, describing it as a "sacrilege against the sanctity of life" and an "assault on the future of the nation." Bishop Francis Wale Oke, PFN National President, said the government had failed to protect citizens and demanded immediate action. The video triggered fresh outrage across the country, with many Nigerians questioning the ability of security agencies to rescue the remaining captives. In response, the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, deployed additional detectives from the Force Headquarters to collaborate with the joint security team on the ground.
Governor Makinde has stated that his administration would never surrender to terrorism, but confirmed that the government was ready to consider the demands of the abductors in order to secure the safe release of the victims. He noted that an operational situation room had been established at the Oyo State Police Command headquarters to coordinate rescue efforts. The governor also disclosed that surveillance aircraft procured by the state government had arrived in Nigeria and were being assembled at the Nigerian Air Force hangar in Lagos. The Defence Headquarters also confirmed that troops had made contact with the abductors and were working to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped students and teachers.
The attack has also severely disrupted educational activities in the region. Students taking the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the affected communities have been relocated to safer areas, with candidates from public schools moved to Ikoyi-Ile and those from private schools transferred to Ogbomoso. Parents now bear additional transport costs of N3,000 per student, excluding feeding allowances, as buses convey the students daily to their new examination centres. The arrangement has placed a heavy financial burden on families already traumatised by the abduction of their loved ones.
As the investigation continues, the six arrested suspects remain in police custody, providing valuable intelligence to security agencies. The police have assured the public that every individual connected to the crime will be identified, arrested, and brought to justice. But for the families of the 46 abducted victims, the wait continues. With no concrete update on the rescue operation, and the attackers still holding innocent children and teachers in a forest fortress, the people of Oyo State are left to wonder when, and if, their loved ones will ever return home.
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