The terrorists arrived before dawn, breaching the stillness of Yawota and Esiele communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Within minutes, locals in these communities said three schools were invaded, and terrified pupils, including their teachers, were herded into the surrounding bushes linking to the Old Oyo National Park, where five park rangers were killed earlier this year.
Among those abducted was the vice principal of Community Grammar School, Alamu Folawe, whose car was stolen by the terrorists and later set ablaze, the police spokesperson in Oyo, Ayanlade Olayinka, said in a statement.
Ms Folawe’s Toyota Camry car was burnt to ashes by the terrorists who kidnapped her and her students
“School should be a haven and a place where a child can dream of and make a better future. It should never be a place where children’s and their parents’ worst nightmares can come true,” Duncan Harvey, the country director for Save the Children in Nigeria, had said following a large-scale abduction in November 2025.
Mr Harvey added that no child should ever have to choose between learning and staying safe.
