Another disturbing video has surfaced from deep inside a forest in Oyo State, showing terrified teachers and schoolchildren pleading for urgent rescue after being abducted by heavily armed gunmen during a violent school invasion in Oriire Local Government Area.
The emotional footage, now circulating widely online, captures one of the kidnapped victims — a visibly traumatised woman who identified herself as a staff member of First Baptist Church in Ogbomoso — crying and begging the Federal Government, Oyo State Government, church authorities and Nigerians to intervene before the situation turns deadly.
According to her, the attackers stormed the school premises without warning and forcefully marched both teachers and pupils into the forest where they have remained under harsh and terrifying conditions.
“I’m from Ibadan. I’m working at First Baptist Church in Ogbomoso, Yawota area. Yesterday, the people came to our school and kidnapped both the teachers and the children,” she said emotionally in the video.
“We are here, we need help from the government and the state government, both the church, First Baptist Church in Yawota and the community. We need your help so that these people will release us.”
The woman repeatedly cried for help as frightened children could reportedly be heard in the background.
“Please help us. We need help from our president. We need help from our state government. Please help us. The children are here, they are crying so that we will not waste our lives,” she added.
The fresh footage surfaced barely hours after another victim, Mrs. Racheal Alamu, Principal of Community High School, Esiele, also appeared in a separate distress video from captivity, appealing to the Federal Government, Oyo State Government, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Nigerians to urgently intervene.
Mrs. Alamu disclosed that the attackers invaded the school around 9:30 a.m. on Friday and whisked away several teachers, school officials and students into the forest.
“I am Mrs. Alamu. I am the principal of Community High School in Oyo State. On Friday, around 9:30, we were attacked by a certain group of people, and a good number of us were abducted,” she said.
“The staff and the students as well, and we have been here since Friday.”
The principal appealed for peaceful intervention to avoid bloodshed and further tragedy.
“I am making this video to ask for help from everyone, starting from the Federal Government of Nigeria, and the Oyo State Government, the Christian Association of Nigeria, and all well-meaning Nigerians, that they should come to our help and settle these things peacefully, so that our lives will not be lost.”
The abduction followed a coordinated attack on LA Primary School and Community Grammar School in Ahoro-Esiele Community, where armed men reportedly opened fire and created panic before abducting pupils, students and members of staff.
Sources within the community revealed that at least one teacher was killed during the attack, while the school principal, two vice principals and three teachers were among those abducted.
As fear spreads across Oyo communities, the Oyo State Government says security agencies have intensified operations around the National Park axis where the kidnappers are believed to be trapped.
Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, disclosed in a statement that security forces had successfully blocked possible escape routes in an effort to prevent the abductors from fleeing into neighbouring states.
“The suspected bandits have been effectively confined within the National Park axis, following coordinated security operations aimed at preventing their movement into neighbouring states,” the statement read.
According to the government, a combined operation involving the Nigerian Army, Civil Defence Agro Rangers, Nigeria Police Force and other security units was launched immediately after the attack.
Authorities also deployed multiple patrol teams made up of Amotekun operatives and local hunters from seven local government areas in Oke-Ogun through Igbeti towards Oloka and surrounding communities.
Despite the heavy security deployment, officials admitted that there had been no direct communication with the kidnappers as of the time of filing this report.
The government also disclosed that school authorities were still struggling to provide accurate figures regarding the total number of abducted pupils and staff members.
The latest incident has once again reignited nationwide outrage over worsening insecurity and repeated attacks on schools across Nigeria, with many Nigerians questioning how gunmen continue to invade educational institutions and abduct children despite repeated security assurances from authorities.