Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, says one of the teachers abducted during the recent terrorist attack on schools in Oriire LGA of the state, has been killed in captivity.
Speaking on Sunday during a press briefing on the incident,
Makinde described the situation as “difficult and challenging”, saying the
state government is intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining victims.
On Friday, gunmen riding motorcycles invaded communities
within the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis of Oriire, Ogbomoso, and abducted students
and staff members of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, L.A. Primary School,
Esiele, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.
The attack left an assistant headmaster, identified as Joel
Adesiyan, and a commercial motorcyclist dead.
According to Makinde, a video received by the state
government confirmed the killing of one of the abductees identified as a
mathematics teacher.
“What we know is that seven teachers in all were abducted
and unfortunately, we got a video this morning that one of the teachers, the
maths teacher, was killed by the terrorists this morning,” Makinde said.
Authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of
schoolchildren abducted.
In the aftermath of the incident, videos recorded from
captivity began circulating on social media, showing abducted teachers pleading
with the government and Nigerians for urgent intervention.
One of the viral videos featured Rachael Alamu, principal of
Community High School, Esiele, appealing to the government to help secure the
release of the victims before they are killed.
Makinde detailed that six persons had been arrested within
the affected locality over alleged links to the attackers, and that another
three “persons of interest” were also arrested in connection with the attack.
“The information available from the commissioner of police
is that six individuals have been arrested within the locality. Some of them
were believed to perhaps be informants to people running logistics for the
terrorists,” he said.
SECURITY OPERATIVES INJURED IN IED AMBUSH
Following the attack, the Oyo police command announced the
commencement of an intensive manhunt and rescue operation involving multiple
security agencies.
Makinde said personnel of the police, military, the Western
Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun, and local hunters were mobilised
immediately to pursue the attackers.
The governor said, however, some Amotekun operatives
sustained injuries after encountering improvised explosive devices planted by
the terrorists during the operation.
“After the incident, Amotekun, the police, military and
hunters were mobilised to go after the terrorists and it was along that line
that they ran into IEDs and some of the Amotekun operatives were wounded,” he
said.
Sources told TheCable that the terrorists had initially
opened fire on the security operatives who were approaching the Old Oyo
national park on motorcycles, causing them to flee.
“When the shooting subsided, the operatives decided to go
for their motorbikes. Unfortunately, a dynamite exploded against one Amotekun
corps member and he was wounded. He has been taken to the hospital for medical
attention,” a source said.
“Apart from air raid, the Old Oyo National Park Area can’t
be easily accessed through infantry. It’s a long distance from the Oowe River
which forms a natural landmark boundary for the park. Motorcycles would have to
be used for the journey, but the noise of the approaching motorcycles alerted
the terrorists.”
TERRORISTS FLEEING NORTH-EAST TO SOUTH
Makinde linked the attack to increasing pressure being
mounted on terrorist groups in the north-east, warning that fleeing armed
groups are moving into other parts of the country, including the south-west.
“With the pressure on the terrorists in the north-east
theatre, they will keep moving southwards. Today, the governor of Kwara state
has spoken to me. But the problem we have is that when you have pressure in one
place, we must be prepared on this side to either repel or neutralise any
terrorists fleeing the pressure,” he said.
The governor harped on the need for sustained government and
security presence in vulnerable communities, warning that temporary military
operations without long-term security measures could leave residents exposed to
future attacks.
“If all we can do is clearance operations for a week or two
and leave that place, the terrorists will come back and the people will become
vulnerable,” he said.
He assured residents that the state government would be
deploying military and non-military strategies to secure the release of the
abducted victims and tackle the growing security threat.
“We have decided that we will adopt not just the kinetic
approach. We have not taken this lightly,” he added.
Makinde also appealed for calm and patience from residents,
acknowledging the complexity of the operation.
“I want to appeal to everyone that we are doing everything
within our power to ensure that this would be resolved quickly and we bring our
children back safely, but it is a very difficult and challenging situation so
there may not be quick fixes,” he added.
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