Nigerians were thrown into shock following the recent abduction of children and school teachers in the Ogbomoso area of Oyo State on Friday, May 15, 2026. The attack, which occurred in three schools located in the Ahoro-Esinle/Yawota axis of Ogbomoso in Oriire Local Government Area, reportedly led to the killing of no fewer than two persons and the abduction of about 30 teachers and students.

The incident took a more horrifying dimension after one of the abducted teachers was beheaded by the bandits. A disturbing video circulated on Monday showed how the victim, identified as Michael Oyedokun, was gruesomely killed after being tied to a tree.

Several prominent personalities in the South-West condemned the attack, insisting that the killings and abductions must stop, while calling on the Federal Government to address worsening insecurity in the region.

Speaking on the incident, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, urged the government to move away from reactive approaches to insecurity. According to the monarch, tackling insecurity effectively would require credible investments in intelligence gathering and surveillance systems capable of identifying threats before they materialise.

Also reacting, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, warned that the attack by terrorists could be a “dress rehearsal,” alleging that their major target might eventually be Lagos State.

Similarly, Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, called on governors in the South-West region to intensify efforts toward tackling insecurity, while sympathising with the families of those affected by the attacks.

Meanwhile, the mother of one of the kidnapped children, identified as Testimony, Ayoka, lamented the incident and appealed passionately to both the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government to ensure the safe release of the victims.

She described the experience as traumatic and heartbreaking for affected families, adding that parents and relatives have been living in fear and uncertainty since the abductions occurred.

Government must abandon reactive approaches to insecurity -Alaafin

His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abimbola Akeem, Owoade 1, in his reaction, called on the Federal Government to take a holistic view of the intelligence gathering and native intelligence mechanisms as a system of addressing insecurity, just as he said that there is an urgent need to deploy technologies required for identifying criminals.

The monarch said this while reacting to the May 15, 2026 kidnap of 46 persons in the Yawota community in the Oriire Local Government area of Ikoyi Ile in Ogbomoso. He urged the government to abandon reactive approaches to insecurity, saying that this will mean making credible investments in intelligence capabilities that pinpoint threats long before they materialize.

Alaafin gave the advice through his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, saying, “abductions, wanton destruction of lives by terrorists have not only reached an intolerable level, but Nigerians are also becoming more apprehensive and worried about the state of insecurity, especially flagrant disregard for human lives.

The country is going through serious security challenges, and what is more disturbing is that these blood guzzlers cannot have such sophisticated and destructive weapons to terrorise without receiving backing from somewhere. “Threats to human lives are not only serious acts of terrorism but indeed an abomination.

This is why well-meaning Nigerians and good friends of the country must see the current war against dreaded terrorists as a welcome development and give total support to save the country from the siege of terrorism. The government is on top of the situation as perpetrators would be brought to justice.”

Lagos is target, Oyo attack dress rehearsal Gani Adams

Iba Gani Adams said that the attack by terrorists is just a dress rehearsal, as their main target is Lagos State. Iba Adams made this known in an interview with the Saturday Telegraph, while reacting to the attack.

He said that the intelligence he received revealed that a cattle market near Lagos now harbours a large number of terrorists with the aim of destabilising the state. Their other targets, he said, are economic, saying that most of the places attacked in Yorubaland, especially in Kwara State, have enormous economic potential.

“Their major target is Lagos, and there is information that a cattle market near Lagos has a large number of terrorists there,” he said, adding that something has to be done fast to stop the criminals from destabilising Nigeria’s economic hub. “They also have an expansionist plan to overrun the region and take it over.

We need to act fast or regret it later,” he said Iba Adams, who also accused South-West governors of ignoring his repeated warnings and calls for collaboration on worsening insecurity in the region, said that if they had listened to him, the recent incident would have been avoided.

He added, “What happened in Oyo State a few days ago is very sad and highly condemnable. We have had a series of kidnappings in different states, but we have not witnessed this kind of mass kidnapping in Yorubaland. This shows that the Yoruba race in the South West must prepare to tackle this menace without further delay.”

He disclosed that he recently wrote letters to the governors in the South West, warning them about the growing infiltration of criminal elements into the region. “I had written to the governors that there is a need for collaboration on the issue of security and that all hands must be on deck to nip the issue in the bud.

But they have not replied to me, and we cannot move in on our own because if we do, we will be seen as criminals. “I will be arrested and my followers too. So, we have to wait for them to discuss how we all can collaborate on this before any action can be taken by us.

As the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, I have limited power on the security architecture of the country, especially Yorubaland,” he said He specifically identified Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo as vulnerable states penciled down for attacks by the criminal groups since November last year.

“In November last year, I mentioned four states that these criminals had infiltrated. I mentioned Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo states, and nothing was done about that information,” he stated.

Adams added that he also raised concerns about security threats in Ogun State, stressing that he lacked the power to directly coordinate regional security operations despite his traditional title.

“I have publicly raised the issue on several occasions and organised a world press conference to advocate stronger collaboration among traditional institutions, regional groups and governments.

“The proposed security partnership was expected to involve the Aare-in Council and about 14 different organisations, including the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), to collaborate with the government.

“I’m frustrated that despite my warnings, some people still blame me for not taking any action on what is happening. “Many have asked: ‘Where is the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland? He refused to do something on the issue of insecurity. But my hands are tied,” he lamented.

Adams added, “These terrorists have numerous agendas. Firstly, it’s highly economical now. They are using the kidnapping to make money to buy arms, which they will use to terrorise us. “Secondly, there’s this expansionist agenda. They want to expand to other territories, especially where there are solid minerals, and control them.

“Their third agenda is to use religion to camouflage to have sympathy to expand their territory. “The fourth is to heat the polity and make the government in power look helpless and the country ungovernable.

“Note that it’s always coming during election times. They did this to former president Goodluck Jonathan when they deliberately kidnapped about 200 school girls from Chibok in Maiduguri in Borno State.

“Is it not surprising that during the tenure of the late Muhammadu Buhari, not much of these shenanigans were experienced. We asked the Federal Government for state police, but they created the Forest Guard instead.

Is that effective now? All we need is state police with the collaboration of our local organisations to tackle terrorism.”

Better to die with honour than live in bondage, says Akintola

In the same vein, the Executive Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola, said that it is better to die with honour than live in bondage and captivity with shame and disgrace in the kidnappers’ den.

“They intend to scare us stiff; to spread mayhem and to embarrass Yoruba leaders and South-West governments. “But, they will fail by the grace of Allah. The South-West must come together and act like one body. They must not turn the region into graveyards for those scoundrels.

“This is not the time for people of the South-West to put their tails between their legs and run like frightened cats. It is time to confront this danger head-on. “We must fight like the real men that we are. Our forefathers took on spears and arrows with their chests, never with their backs.

We will not run from these hoodlums. We will fight side by side with the law enforcement agents. We will outnumber the bandits and outgun them. After all, they are not spirits,” he said. He added: “The recent Oyo attack is callous and brutish. These bandits have no single pint of human blood in them.

That is why they deserve no pity at all. “That is why the Glorious Qur’an says bandits like them who waylay innocent people should be crucified.

The Qur’an prescribes severe punishments, including crucifixion for bandits and kidnappers. “These penalties are mentioned in Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:33), which addresses the crime of hirabah (i.e., waging war against society, spreading terror, and causing mischief in the land).

The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might. “For mischief through the land is execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of their hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land. From now on, no Yoruba man must sleep without a cudgel under his pillow.”

Southwest governors must tackle insecurity Afenifere.

Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, charged South West governors on what to do to tackle insecurity, just as it sympathised with families of the victims of the various attacks in the zone.

The National Publicity Secretary of the organisation, Comrade Jare Ajayi, in his reaction to the attacks, said that the group condemned attacks in the Yoruba land. Ajayi said: “Afenifere Leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, was saddened to hear this unfortunate incident, which occurred the same week he marked his 100th year on earth.

He sympathised with the victims and their families, just as he prayed for the quick recovery of those who were injured. Besides, he expressed the hope that a total stop would be put to the life-threatening insecurity situation in the country without further delay.”

Afenifere wondered what had become of the resolutions by the six governors and the surveillance aircraft purchased by the Oyo State government.

Ajayi recalled that there was a report of bandits sending notices in English and Yoruba of their planned attack to some communities in Oriire Local Government shortly after the killing of five forest guards at Oloka Village in January this year.

Yet what happened in Oriire could not be prevented! He said: “In view of the fact that the primary duty of government is the security and welfare of the people, governments in the SouthWest states of Nigeria must prove that they are alive to their constitutionally-assigned responsibilities.

Everything must be done to ensure that no area in the region experiences attacks by kidnappers and bandits anymore.” Ajayi called on the six governors in the region to make the security of their people their topmost priority.

Mother of kidnapped child speaks

Lamenting the attack and the accompanying incident, the distraught mother of one of the kidnapped children; Testimony Ayoka, said that her daughter is just four years old.

“They took her away with other children. We need help, please, help me o! Help us. See how I am now. The government should help us. We are helpless. My child is small. It is helpful that we need to get our children released.

Please, my life is almost gone. Please, help me. Help us beg them. We don’t have any power. We beg them in the name of God who created them. They should please release my Testimony,” she said.