Gunmen on Friday invaded Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting the school principal and an unspecified number of students during a brazen attack that has thrown the community into panic.
The incident reportedly occurred between 8am and 9am when the attackers stormed the school premises and began shooting sporadically, forcing students and teachers to flee for safety.
Residents told our correspondent that the assailants whisked away the school principal, Mrs Rachael Alamu, alongside several students whose exact number had yet to be confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
A teacher was also reportedly shot during the invasion, although the severity of the injury could not be immediately ascertained.
One of the residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the attackers operated for several minutes without resistance before escaping into a nearby forest reserve.
“The gunmen came heavily armed and invaded the school while activities were ongoing. They abducted the principal and some students. One teacher was shot during the attack.
The entire community is in fear right now,” the source said.
Another resident disclosed that the gunmen fled the scene in the principal’s vehicle and escaped through a forest route linking neighbouring communities.
Parents and residents were said to have stormed the school shortly after the incident amid fears over the safety of the abducted victims.
Some residents blamed the delayed response of security operatives on the absence of a nearby police formation in the area.
“The nearest police station is far from this community. Before security operatives could arrive, the attackers had already escaped into the forest,” another source added.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the command had launched an operation in the area.
Ayanlade, however, noted that the exact number of abducted students had yet to be verified.
“Yes, there was an attack in the area. The Commissioner of Police and tactical teams have moved to the community for on-the-spot assessment and necessary action.
We are still verifying the number of victims involved,” he said.
The latest attack has heightened concerns over insecurity in rural communities across the state, particularly attacks targeting schools and vulnerable residents.
