Armed 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 another disturbing attack on schools in Nigeria.
Newsonspot gathered that the incident, which reportedly occurred between 8:00am and 9:00am during school hours, threw the agrarian community into panic as residents fled for safety.
The abducted principal was identified as Mrs. Rachael Alamu. According to reports, the attackers stormed the school premises and forcefully whisked her away alongside several students whose exact number had yet to be confirmed at the time of filing this report.
The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the attack in a statement issued on Friday by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka.
Police also disclosed that one of the teachers was shot during the invasion, although the extent 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 stated.
Residents alleged that the gunmen operated for several minutes without resistance due to the distance between the community and the nearest police station, which reportedly delayed emergency response efforts.
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According to security sources, the attackers escaped with the principal in her vehicle before fleeing into a forest reserve bordering the community.
“The gunmen fled the scene with the principal in her vehicle and escaped into a forest reserve bordering the community,” the police statement added.
The latest incident has intensified concerns over the worsening insecurity in rural communities and the increasing vulnerability of schools to attacks by armed groups across Nigeria.
The attack also adds to the growing number of school abductions carried out by terrorists, bandits, and criminal gangs targeting students and teachers for ransom.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State has reportedly ordered the immediate deployment of tactical teams and other security operatives to the area to commence rescue operations and assess the situation.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had not confirmed whether contact had been established with the kidnappers or if any ransom demand had been made. The whereabouts of the abducted principal and students also remained unknown.
