The ongoing crisis surrounding the Oyo State school abduction has entered a critical phase as Governor ‘Seyi Makinde, revealed that the operation to rescue the teachers and pupils abducted in Ahoro-Esinele Community of Oriire Local Government is still ongoing.
This was as he confirmed the number of teachers abducted as seven, while he stated that seven pupils were abducted at the Community Secondary School and another 18 pupils at the First Baptist Nursery and Primary School, taking the total number of abducted people to 32.
The governor said this on Monday, shortly after a security review meeting with his Security Advisers and the Service Commanders in the state, noting that an operational centre had been set up at the Police Headquarters in Ibadan.
REPORTERS AT LARGE reports that gunmen breached the peace of the Ahoro-Esinele Community in the Oriire Local Government Area, seizing teachers and children from two separate academic institutions. While authorities coordinate the ground response, the government is simultaneously awaiting the assembly of new military surveillance aircraft to fortify state borderlines.
Inside the Oriire Rescue Operation
The true scale of the assault became clear following a rigorous audit by intelligence chiefs and service commanders at the Police Headquarters. The Oriire rescue operation is currently hunting for 32 missing persons who were taken during the coordinated morning raids.
The physical breakdown of the abductees consists of seven pupils taken from the Community Secondary School, alongside 18 young children seized from the First Baptist Nursery and Primary School. In addition to the 25 students, seven academic staff members were swept up in the assault across both campuses.
Tragically, the Governor confirmed that the initial assault turned lethal, resulting in the death of one educator. Addressing reporters directly, Makinde explicitly detailed the verified numbers to counter conflicting accounts on social media.
The Governor stated:
“Now, we are able to conclusively confirm that, at the Community Secondary School, seven students were abducted, while at the First Baptist Primary and Nursery School, 18 children were abducted. The teachers involved were seven. Unfortunately, as I reported yesterday, one of them was killed.”
Makinde Issues Firm Stance on Terrorism
As the Oyo State school abduction dominate national news, the state government has maintained a resolute posture against the perpetrators. Officials refuse to allow criminal syndicates to dictate the terms of public safety. While acknowledging that communication channels remain open to ensure the survival of the captives, the state insists on an immediate and unconditional release.
The administration has urged media houses and citizens to avoid spreading unverified rumors that could compromise troop movements.
The Governor emphasised the delicate nature of the mission: “The operation is still ongoing. It is still a very fluid and difficult situation that our troops on the ground are faced with. So, I will please ask for responsible reporting of the situation. This is not something sensational. It involves lives. So, please, if you are not clear about anything, you can ask us, and we will gladly volunteer the information.”
New Military Surveillance Aircraft Delayed Until June
A critical component of the long-term border strategy rests on hardware that is currently sitting in pieces in a neighboring state. Addressing questions regarding the delayed deployment of state-procured aviation assets, the Governor Seyi Makinde security update revealed that technical teams are working to get the assets flight-ready.
The military surveillance aircraft are currently undergoing mandatory assembly at the Nigerian Air Force Hangar in Lagos.
The deployment phases began with the recent arrival of Chinese manufacturing technicians in mid-May. These engineers require roughly a fortnight to complete the intricate mechanical reassembly, setting the realistic timeline for full operational flight logging and border patrols towards the final days of June.
Engineers from the manufacturing firm arrived from China to couple the units, a process expected to take a fortnight. Officials note that these assets were originally purchased to watch international boundaries rather than respond to internal hostage situations.
Makinde explained:
“The surveillance aircraft have arrived in the country. As of today, they are at the Nigerian Air Force hanger in Lagos, being reassembled. The manufacturer from China arrived in the country about three days ago. They should have about two weeks, roughly to finish their work. So, I can say that those surveillance aircraft should be in operation on or before the end of June.”
The Governor further added: “We were proactive. We wanted to be able to cover the borderline between Oyo State and Kwara, and also the international border between Oyo State and the Republic of Benin. But we didn’t know this would happen at this stage. We didn’t plan for the procurement of the aircraft having in mind that something like this would happen. We now have the capability, but the deployment will have to wait until about the end of June. But if anybody is interested, we can always ask the Nigerian Air Force that we want to inspect it, we can arrange for you to go to the Nigerian Air Force Base in Lagos to see the work that is going on right now.”
Local Intelligence necessary to Oriire Rescue Operation
With the Oriire rescue operation pushing deep into the forests bordering Kwara State, the administration is calling for total civilian cooperation. Security agencies argue that technical tools like military surveillance aircraft are only effective when combined with rapid human intelligence from hunters, farmers, and rural residents.
The Governor concluded with a direct mandate to the public: “The people, the citizens and the residents of whichever area of Oyo State must always give timely information to the government. For me, I always say, ‘if you see something strange, say something, and then expect us to do something.’ So, we will keep engaging with the citizens.”
