A wave of panic has hit Oyo State after heavily armed gunmen invaded Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, in the Oriire Local Government Area on Friday morning, May 15, 2026. The attackers abducted the school’s principal, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, alongside an unspecified number of students, and critically shot a teacher who attempted to intervene.
According to community sources, the raid occurred during morning school hours between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. The assailants stormed the premises, rounded up the victims, and forced the principal into her personal vehicle before driving off and escaping into a vast, neighboring forest reserve. The local community has expressed deep worry over the delay in immediate tactical intervention, noting that the nearest police station is a considerable distance away.
Key Highlights of the Incident
- Casualties and Injuries: While the primary focus remains the safe rescue of the principal and students, a teacher was shot during the chaos. Conflicting local reports suggest the teacher was severely wounded, with some educational boards describing the security breach as an entirely “dark and painful moment” for the state.
- Police Deployment: The Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed the attack but stated that the exact number of abducted students has not yet been verified.
- Forest Track Operations: The State Commissioner of Police, alongside a specialized anti-kidnapping tactical team, has personally traveled to Oriire LGA to assess the situation, establish a command post, and coordinate tracking operations into the forest reserve.
- Broader Security Context: This South-West school raid comes amid heightened national anxiety over student safety, following a separate, recent terrorist attack on a school in Borno State.
