Feso Jason
Panic has gripped residents of Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after armed gunmen invaded a secondary school in the area and abducted students and the school principal in a morning attack.
The incident reportedly occurred between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on the premises of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, throwing the entire community into confusion as gunmen stormed the school in large numbers.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived suddenly and operated without resistance, forcing students and staff into panic before whisking away victims to an unknown destination.
A source in the community revealed that an unspecified number of students were taken during the raid, alongside the school principal, Mrs. Rachael Alamu. The attackers were also said to have shot a teacher during the invasion, though the condition of the victim remains unclear at the time of filing this report.
According to the source, the gunmen also escaped with the principal in her personal vehicle before fleeing into a nearby forest reserve that shares a boundary with the community.
Residents described the attack as coordinated and frightening, noting that there was little or no immediate security presence at the scene when the incident occurred. The nearest police formation was said to be located some distance away from the school, making rapid response difficult.
“The attackers came early in the morning and operated freely. They took students, the principal, and even shot a teacher. We don’t even know how many students were taken,” the source said.
Another resident added that the attackers drove the principal away in her car before disappearing into the forest, leaving the community in shock and fear.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the state police command confirmed that an attack had taken place in the area. He, however, did not confirm the exact number of casualties or abductees at the time of the call.
He stated that the Commissioner of Police and a tactical team were already en route to the community to assess the situation and coordinate rescue efforts.
“There was an attack in that area. The Commissioner of Police is on his way to the area,” he said.
As of the time of this report, the full scale of the abduction remains unclear, while security operatives are expected to begin a search operation in surrounding forests believed to be the escape route of the attackers.
The incident has further raised concerns over the safety of schools in rural communities, especially those located far from immediate security response units. Parents and residents have continued to call for urgent intervention to secure the release of the abducted students and school staff.
Authorities are expected to provide further updates as investigations and rescue operations continue.