Heart-wrenching scenes unfolded on Thursday morning in Iloro-Ekiti as secondary school students, many still in their uniforms, ran desperately along the roadside, waving down passing vehicles and crying out for help.…....
“Please help us! We’re running from bandits. Save us!” some of the terrified students were heard shouting in viral videos circulating on social media.
The panic erupted at Ayetoro/Iloro High School following unconfirmed reports of armed Fulani bandits sighted in the area. School authorities quickly dismissed the students, sending them home amid fears of an imminent attack. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes of young boys and girls sprinting along the road, looking back in fear as they sought safety.
Local residents and parents expressed deep frustration over the lack of adequate security around rural schools. Some students were seen being assisted by police officers who arrived at the scene, while others jumped into any available vehicle that stopped for them.
This incident comes amid heightened tension across parts of Ekiti State and neighboring communities, where repeated warnings about bandit activities, especially from porous forest borders with Kwara and Kogi states, have put residents on edge. Security agencies have been deploying more personnel, including Amotekun operatives, to border areas in recent months, but many communities still feel vulnerable.A resident who witnessed the students’ flight told local sources that the fear was palpable: “These children were running for their lives. No parent wants to lose their child to these criminals. The government must do more to protect our schools and communities.”
As of now, there are no confirmed reports of actual bandit incursion at the school itself — the panic was triggered by circulating rumors and sightings of suspicious armed men nearby. However, the episode highlights the constant psychological toll of insecurity on students and families in the region.
Ekiti State authorities have not yet issued an official statement on Thursday’s incident, but calls for improved security presence around educational institutions in vulnerable areas are growing louder.
