Tension in Oyo as Gunmen Abduct School Principal, Teachers, Students; ANCOPSS Condemns Attack

There was tension in Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State following the abduction of a school principal, teachers, and students during an attack by suspected gunmen on Friday.

Among those reportedly abducted is Mrs. Rachael Alamu, Principal of Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele, who was said to have been kidnapped alongside some teachers and students when the attackers invaded the school premises.

Mrs. Alamu is the wife of Prof. Wole Alamu of the Department of Forest Resources Management, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso.

Sources within the community disclosed that the attackers stormed the school and whisked away an unspecified number of students and staff members, creating panic and confusion among residents.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the remoteness of the area contributed to the delayed security response.

“The police station is far from the community. The nearest police station should be Ikoyi Division,” the source said.

The incident reportedly caused fear and anxiety within the affected communities as parents and relatives besieged the school premises over concerns about the safety of the abducted victims.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Oyo State Police Command, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed that there was an attack in the area but did not immediately verify the abduction of students and staff members.

“There was an attack in that area. The Commissioner of Police is on his way to the area,” Ayanlade said during a telephone conversation.

Security operatives were said to have launched efforts to track the attackers, while residents called for increased security presence across rural communities vulnerable to criminal attacks.

Meanwhile, the All Nigerian Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) Elders Forum, Ogbomoso Zone, has strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a direct assault on education and the future of children in Oyo State.

In a letter addressed to Governor Seyi Makinde and copied to the Commissioner of Police and Chairman of Oriire Local Government, the Forum expressed outrage over the abduction of the school principal, teachers, and students, as well as the killing of an assistant headmaster of L.A. Basic School, Yawota, and a student of a private school during the attack.

The letter, titled “Strong Condemnation of the Abduction of School Principal and Unspecified Number of Students and Killing of One Teacher and a Student in Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota, in Oriire Local Government,” was jointly signed by Prince Lere Ajiboye, a retired Permanent Secretary of TESCOM and Chairman of the Forum, and Prince Lekan Olawuyi, Secretary of the Forum.

The retired principals described the attack as “an unwarranted assault” that would have serious psychological consequences on students, teachers, and the entire education sector.

“We write on behalf of ANCOPSS Elders Forum Ogbomoso Zone to express our profound shock, grief, and outrage at the brutal attack on Community Grammar School Ahoro-Esinele,” the letter stated.

“It is with heavy hearts that we received the news that armed bandits invaded the school premises, abducted the serving Principal, several teachers, and an unspecified number of students. We are further devastated to learn that a teacher and a student were killed in cold blood during the attack.”

The Forum maintained that targeting schools, teachers, and students represented a dangerous attack on society itself and warned against allowing such incidents to become normalized.

According to the group, “education is a right, not a crime,” insisting that the safety of schools must remain non-negotiable.

ANCOPSS Elders Forum consequently demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted victims, thorough investigation into the attack, arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators, and urgent deployment of adequate security to vulnerable schools across the state.

The body also called for full implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative and support for families of the deceased as well as rehabilitation programmes for traumatized students and staff.

“As retired principals, we have dedicated our lives to building young minds and protecting our schools. We cannot and will not remain silent while those who carry on this work are slaughtered and abducted,” the Forum stated.

The group further urged government authorities, security agencies, traditional rulers, and community leaders to work together to end violent attacks on schools and educational institutions across the state.

They also prayed for the safe return of the abducted victims and for the repose of the souls of those killed during the attack.