There was panic in Oyo State on Friday following a coordinated attack on three schools in Orire Local Government Area, as armed terrorists killed an assistant headmaster, abducted many pupils and teachers, and threw entire communities into chaos.
The affected schools were Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primarys School.
Residents described the attack as one of the most daring assaults on school communities in recent times, with gunmen reportedly operating in broad daylight and moving freely between locations without resistance.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, left parents, teachers and residents in distress as security operatives launched a manhunt for the kidnappers.
Eyewitnesses said the hoodlums stormed the communities around 9am, shortly after pupils gathered for morning assembly and normal school activities resumed.
According to multiple residents, the assailants arrived on motorcycles and shot sporadically as they entered school premises and nearby areas.
The attackers were said to have operated in a coordinated manner, striking more than one school almost simultaneously.
A resident explained that the schools were raided in quick succession, which forced pupils and teachers to flee into nearby bushes for safety.
“They came in large numbers on motorcycles and started shooting immediately. Everybody ran. They moved from one school to another within minutes,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, was killed during the incident.
Witnesses said he was trying to escape through a window when he was shot dead.
His death has since sparked grief within the education community in the area, with colleagues describing him as dedicated and committed to his duties.
In a separate incident during the chaos, an okada rider who unknowingly rode into the scene of the attack was also killed after he was caught in the crossfire.
The attackers abducted the principal of Community Grammar School, Mrs Rachael Alamu, alongside five teachers and an unspecified number of pupils.
Sources within the community said the terrorists moved quickly between classrooms.
One resident said, “The assistant head teacher was trying to escape through the window, but he was shot dead. The principal and five teachers were kidnapped. They also took several pupils.”
The exact number of abducted pupils remains unclear as of the time of filing this report.
However, residents fear the figure could be significant, especially from the secondary school.