Oyo Kidnap Terrorists Make Fresh Demands, Insists on Direct Talks With Governor

Terrorists holding scores of schoolchildren and teachers abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have opened communication channels with authorities but have laid down a strict condition for negotiations.

According to highly credible sources, the abductors have refused to speak directly with families of the victims and have insisted on engaging only with Governor Seyi Makinde.

“They said they only want to talk to the governor and nobody else. That was the condition they gave for negotiation,” a source told Saturday PUNCH. “So, nobody knows the details and what they are demanding.”

It remains unclear whether the governor himself or a representative of the state is handling the negotiations. However, a top source described the establishment of a communication channel as a relief, saying, “It is not that security agencies don’t know what to do. But the risks are too high. The relief is that at least now, they are talking.”

The demands of the terrorists are being kept discreet in order not to jeopardise the lives of the captives, who include a two-year-old toddler identified as Christianah Akanbi of Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.

The coordinated attacks occurred on May 15, 2026, when armed men stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School in Esiele, all in Oriire Local Government Area. Community leaders have confirmed that 46 persons, comprising seven teachers and 39 students, were abducted.

However, the Oyo State Police Command has given conflicting figures, with Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, stating that seven students, 18 pupils and seven teachers remain missing. Police have repeatedly dismissed rumours that the victims have been rescued.

“The abducted students, pupils, and teachers in Orire Local Government Area are yet to be released,” Ayanlade said in a statement. “The spread of fake news and misinformation only creates unnecessary panic, heightens tension, and diverts limited security resources that are critically needed for the ongoing operations.”

Governor Makinde has signed Executive Order No. 1 of 2026 to regulate the activities of vigilante and other local security associations in the state. “Security is not the responsibility of the government alone. It is a collective duty,” the governor said during a press briefing in Ibadan.

The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has deployed additional detectives from the Force Headquarters to collaborate with the joint security team on the ground. A security source said, “The kidnapped students and their teachers will soon breathe air of freedom as the government and the relevant security agencies are leaving no stone unturned.”

The Defence Headquarters has assured that the Armed Forces are deploying all necessary resources to secure the safe return of the abducted victims. Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, condemned the attack as “callous and reprehensible” and urged Nigerians to remain calm and supportive of security agencies during ongoing operations.

Meanwhile, a teacher at Ikose Primary School, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that school attendance in Ogbomoso and surrounding areas has dropped drastically. “All the schools, both private and public, in Ogbomoso have been empty since Monday. Pupils stopped attending school after the Esinele attacks,” she said.

The abductors have been described by the Defence Headquarters as dislodged Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād fighters operating in the South-West after fleeing military operations in the North-East.