Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has approved a strict 24-hour extension of the curfew imposed on 10 local government areas bordering the Old Oyo National Park, as announced by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, in a memo issued on Thursday and confirmed by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju. The affected local government areas—which include Oriire, Orelope, Irepo, Saki West, Saki East, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iseyin, Olorunsogo, and Atiba—were initially placed under a 4:00 PM to 8:00 AM restriction on June 23, 2026, but the directive ensures the security lockdown will now remain actively in force until Saturday, June 27, 2026. This urgent measure is the latest tactical response following the brutal May 15, 2026, bandits’ attack on three primary and secondary schools in the Yawota and Ahoro-Esienle axis of Oriire Local Government Area, during which a teacher was tragically killed, scores of schoolchildren and educators were kidnapped, and another captive teacher was horrificaly beheaded in the bush. As community anxieties rise, the Oyo State Government and federal authorities maintain that they are aggressively collaborating with specialized military and police units to track down the terrorists within the national park, rescue all remaining abductees unharmed, and permanently secure the state’s borders, with Governor Makinde repeatedly vowing to leave no stone unturned until every single victim is reunited safely with their families.
