JUST IN: Tension Envelopes Oyo State As Gunmen Abduct School Principal, Unspecified Number Of Students
OpenLife reports that gunmen, on Friday, invaded Community High School in Ahoro-Esinele community, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting the school principal and an unspecified number of students in yet another violent attack targeting schools in Nigeria.
The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the incident, which reportedly occurred between 8:00am and 9:00am, throwing the agrarian community into panic.
According to the police, the attackers stormed the school premises during school hours and forcefully whisked away the principal, identified as Mrs Rachael Alamu, alongside several students whose exact number had yet to be determined as of the time of filing this report.
The spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Friday.
“Gunmen have invaded Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting the principal of a secondary school and an unspecified number of students,” the statement said.
Police further revealed that a teacher was shot during the attack, although the severity of the injury remained unclear.
“The source also said a teacher was shot during the attack, though the extent of the injury has not been confirmed,” Olayinka added.
According to residents, the armed men escaped with the abducted principal in her vehicle before fleeing into a forest reserve bordering the community.
Sources in the area said the attackers operated for several minutes without resistance, allegedly due to the distance of the nearest police station from the community, which delayed emergency response efforts.
“The gunmen fled the scene with the principal in her vehicle and escaped into a forest reserve bordering the community,” the police statement noted.
The incident has heightened fears among residents over worsening insecurity in rural communities and the increasing vulnerability of schools to attacks by armed groups.
The latest abduction adds to the growing list of attacks on schools across Nigeria, where terrorists, bandits and armed criminal groups have repeatedly targeted students and teachers for ransom.
In November 2025, SaharaReporters reported that terrorists invaded St. Mary’s Papiri Private Catholic Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting an unspecified number of students and teachers during a midnight raid.
Meanwhile, the police command said the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State had ordered immediate deployment of tactical teams and other security operatives to the area for rescue operations and assessment.
Authorities, however, did not disclose whether contact had been established with the kidnappers or if any ransom demand had been made.
As at the time of filing this report, the whereabouts of the abducted principal and students remained unknown.
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