Fear, silence linger in Oriire as parents await return of abducted pupils, teachers

Soji Ajibiola and Rukiyat Ogunwade, who were in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, captured the air of uncertainty, rage and frustration hovering over the Ahoro Esinele and Yawota communities, where 45 students and teachers were kidnapped by gunmen recently, as well as the pathetic condition of sulking parents, and other relations of the kidnapped infants.

FOR more than 18 days, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth have persisted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. There appears to be no end in sight to the agony of families whose children, teachers and loved ones were abducted by gunmen from schools in Ahoro-Eshiele community.

When exactly will their morning of joy come? When will the two-year-old, four-year-old children and dozens of other pupils and teachers being held captive inside the vast forests of the Old Oyo National Park regain their freedom? These are the questions hanging heavily over the affected communities as residents continue to live in fear and uncertainty.

The journey from Ibadan through Ogbomoso to Ahoro Esinele tells a story beyond the abduction itself. It reveals how terrorism and banditry have gradually tightened their grip on an entire region, leaving emotional, psychological and economic devastation in their wake.

From Ibadan, the journey begins with noise and activity. Commercial buses jostle for passengers. Traders line the streets. Trailers rumble toward Ogbomoso and beyond. But as one approaches Oriire, the atmosphere changes dramatically.

The settlements that line the roads become sparse. Phone signals disappear. Roadside businesses thin out. Silence envelopes nearby surroundings and this persists till one arrives in Esinele, where the eerie silence turns into overarching sounds of sorrow.

The peaceful silence of a farming community immediately gives way to the heavy silence of fear. Children who would ordinarily run after visitors are nowhere to be found. Adults speak in hushed tones. Motorcycles passing through the village trigger anxious glances. Every unfamiliar sound provokes apprehension.

The faces of residents tell stories that words struggle to capture—fear, exhaustion, grief and hopelessness.

An elderly woman who sighted visitors broke into tears and cried in Yoruba, “E jowo, e ran wa lowo” (Please help us). “They took them two weeks ago,” she lamented. “We can no longer sleep with our two eyes closed.”

The atmosphere inside the affected schools is equally heartbreaking. Classrooms remain deserted. School bags, books, shoes, food flasks and personal belongings of pupils and teachers remain scattered where they were abandoned during the attack.

The last traces of normal school life appear frozen in time. For many residents, however, the crisis extends beyond the kidnapped victims.

The economic consequences have been devastating. Residents who depend on haulage trucks and transportation activities along the Ibadan-Ogbomoso-Oriire corridor for their livelihoods have been left stranded. Commercial activities have slowed significantly as transporters and traders increasingly avoid the route.

Food vendors have fled. Markets have become empty. Small businesses have collapsed.

Families of abducted victims who remain in the community say they now struggle to secure food and basic necessities.

At the entrance of one of the affected schools, women gathered in desperation.

“Help us,” they chorused. “We have no food to eat. Many traders have left. Only the families of the kidnapped victims remain here, hoping and praying that our children and relatives will one day return,” they volunteered.

The worsening insecurity has further compounded longstanding challenges confronting the area. The Old Oyo National Park, established in 1991 as a conservation and tourism centre, now represents a source of fear for many communities around it.

Covering over 2,500 square kilometres across several local government areas, including Oriire, Oorelope, Ogo-Oluwa, Atiba, Atisbo, Irepo, Itesiwaju, Iseyin, Oyo West, Olorunsogo, and Saki East, the vast forest has increasingly become a haven for criminal elements.

Residents lament that what should have been an economic blessing has become a security nightmare.

The region also suffers from poor roads, inadequate communication facilities and minimal government presence.

Motorcycle riders often charge between N12,000 and N15,000 to transport passengers from Odo-Oba to Ahoro-Eshiele because of the poor road network and security risks. The absence of reliable telecommunications further isolates the communities.

READ ALSO: Oyo Assembly rejects negotiation with terrorists, seeks rescue of abductees

During visits to affected areas, there was little evidence of permanent security infrastructure before the attack. While military personnel and police officers are now visible around the schools and some strategic locations, residents insist that such security presence was absent before the tragedy.

Efforts to Escape

The fear of kidnappers has become the beginning of wisdom for many farmers. Several residents now avoid their farms altogether. Many have relocated to safer areas. Schools remain largely deserted. Classrooms remain empty. The educational future of many children now hangs in the balance.

Residents recall how parents watched helplessly as armed men stormed the schools.

Unable to challenge heavily armed attackers with mere farming tools, many fled into nearby bushes for safety while the kidnappers carried away their children.

Ides of Terror

The people of Ahoro-Eshiele were still mourning previous attacks when tragedy struck again on May 15, 2026. Months earlier, gunmen had reportedly killed several forest guards within the area

Then came the school invasion

According to eyewitnesses, the attackers arrived on motorcycles, dressed in military-style uniforms and carrying sophisticated weapons.

Believing they were security operatives, residents initially paid little attention.

Moments later, gunfire shattered the calm. The attackers moved swiftly from classroom to classroom. Terrified children screamed. Teachers pleaded. The gunmen showed no mercy. They loaded their victims onto motorcycles and disappeared into the forest. Two persons reportedly lost their lives during the operation.

The kidnapped pupils and teachers have remained in captivity ever since.

“When Will Our Loved Ones Return?”

That question dominates conversations across Oriire. Mrs Funmilayo Ojo, whose daughter Testimony was among those abducted, recalled how her child insisted on going to school despite plans to attend a church programme that morning. She watched helplessly as armed men invaded the community and disappeared with the children.

Another resident, also identified as Funmilayo Ojo, said her sister-in-law and four children remain among the captives.

“I have been stripped naked emotionally,” she lamented. “No food. No medication. We are appealing to government to save our children.”

Mr Ojo Adekunle, father of one of the abducted pupils, said the community had witnessed killings before but never a mass abduction of schoolchildren.

Professor Wole Alamu, whose wife, Mrs Fola Alamu, a school principal, was abducted during the attack, appealed passionately to government authorities.

“The pain is becoming unbearable,” he said. “She is 56 years old. Every day, I only see videos showing guns pointed at her.”

The community’s traditional ruler, the Eleshiele of Eshiele, Oba Tajudeen Abioye, described the incident as unprecedented in the history of the settlement. While appreciating government efforts since the abduction, the monarch appealed for accelerated action toward securing the release of the victims.

“The unfortunate event is something we have never experienced since we settled here,” he said.

“We appreciate the government for its efforts, but we appeal for quicker action toward securing the release of the victims,” he added.

The monarch further urged government authorities to provide permanent security infrastructure in the area. ”We are no longer safe,” he said.

“Our people are afraid. Parents are afraid of sending their children back to school because of the fear of bandits. We need security if life is to return to normal,” he added.

The way forward

Traditional rulers and government officials agreed that addressing the crisis requires more than securing the release of the victims.

The Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Olusola Alao, commended the Federal Government for dispatching a delegation led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, but stressed the need for improved infrastructure and stronger security architecture.

Similarly, the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, advocated the establishment of a military base in Oriire to combat criminal activities.

Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Segun Olayiwola, described the tragedy as devastating and called for closer collaboration between the Federal and State Governments to secure vulnerable communities and schools. Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s assurance that every available option was being explored to secure the safe release of the victims.

National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, described the kidnapping of infants as “pure evil” and announced plans for the recruitment of additional forest guards in Oyo State. Defence authorities also assured residents that security agencies would continue working tirelessly until all victims regain their freedom.

Tales of a lonely people

 Yet despite the assurances, fear still hangs heavily over Oriire. As darkness falls, shops close early. Roads become deserted. Families count heads before bedtime.

The farms remain green. The hills remain beautiful. The sunset remains unchanged. But the people move differently now slower, quieter and burdened by uncertainty. For them, every passing day brings only one prayer, that their children, teachers and loved ones return home alive.