The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, on Sunday called on the Federal Government to overhaul its intelligence gathering system, stressing that Nigeria must shift from reactive responses to proactive measures in addressing insecurity, even as a viral video emerged showing an abducted school principal and other captives crying out for help following the Friday terrorist attacks and abductions in four villages in the Ogbomoso area of Oyo State, and the Oyo State Police Command confirmed receipt of the video and the commencement of forensic examination and intensive rescue operations.
The monarch made the call in a statement released by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, following the terrorist attacks and abductions in four villages in the Ogbomoso area on Friday.
Villages including Ahoro-Esinle, Alawusa, Yawota and Oniya, located within Oriire Local Government Area of the state, were attacked on Friday.
The bandits attacked the Esinle School, where two people were killed, a car was burnt, and over 45 pupils alongside a teacher were marched into the Old Oyo National Park forest.
The victims were abducted during coordinated attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, and Community Grammar School/L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in the local government area on Friday around 9:30 a.m.
The Alaafin urged the government to abandon reactive approaches to insecurity, saying this would require making credible investments in intelligence capabilities that identify threats before they materialise, hardening soft targets such as schools and communities, and cutting off the financial and logistical networks sustaining criminal groups.
According to the monarch, this means working with communities to build trust and gather intelligence rather than treating them as collateral damage in airstrikes.
Oba Owoade said abductions and the wanton destruction of lives by terrorists had reached an intolerable level, adding that Nigerians were becoming increasingly apprehensive and worried about the state of insecurity, especially the flagrant disregard for human lives.
While pointing out that “it is high time for the Federal Government to carry out a total overhaul of the country’s security architecture,” Owoade lauded President Bola Tinubu’s demonstration, through actions, that ending insecurity is one of his administration’s foremost concerns.
The monarch said: “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 people without receiving backing from some allies 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 Nigeria must see the current war against dreaded terrorists as a welcomed development and give total support in order to save the country from the siege of terrorism.
“Citizens are fast losing trust in their government’s ability to protect them, and inter-communal trust is breaking down. The constant threat of violence, kidnapping and attacks leaves a generation of citizens with lasting psychological trauma, anxiety and mental health challenges. Insecurity directly threatens the political integrity and governance of a nation.”
The Alaafin further declared: “The ultimate solution is more political than military. Government, political leaders and followers, and all of us must have the courage and honesty to get to the root causes of our current state of insecurity, underpinned by criminality and insurgency.
“The most tragic consequence is the loss of human lives and the mass displacement of populations, creating an internally displaced persons crisis and tearing families apart.
“I commiserate with the families affected by the attacks and assure them that the government is on top of the situation, as the perpetrators will be brought to justice. The Federal Government must also take a holistic approach to intelligence gathering and native intelligence mechanisms as a system for addressing insecurity.
“The police and local security operatives have been deployed to the affected villages, and this donation of money is just to complement government efforts in apprehending the terrorists.”
In a separate development that has heightened the sense of urgency surrounding the abductions, a viral video began trending on Sunday in which a woman who introduced herself as Mrs. Alamu, and said she was the principal of Community High School, Esinele, cried out for help, stating that she and several staff members and students had been abducted by unknown gunmen in Oyo State.
In the video, the principal said the incident occurred on Friday around 9:30 a.m. in Oriire Local Government Area of the state. According to her, armed men attacked the school and abducted several teachers and students.
“On Friday at around 9:30, we were attacked by a certain group of people. A good number of us were abducted, the staff and the students as well,” she said in the emotional appeal.
She called on the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, the Christian Association of Nigeria and other well-meaning Nigerians to urgently intervene and secure their release.
“We have been here since Friday. I am making this video to ask for help from everyone. They should come to our help and settle this thing peacefully so that our lives will not be lost,” she added.
Another victim identified as Temitope, who was seen in the video carrying a baby, also appealed for urgent intervention.
“Hi, I’m from Ibadan. I’m working at First Baptist Church in Ogbomosho. Yesterday, the people came to our school and we have kidnapped both the teachers and the children,” she said.
“We are all here, we need help from the federal government and the state government, both the church, First Baptist Church and the community. We need your help so that these people will release us. Please help us,” she said.
She further lamented the condition of the abducted children, saying they had been crying in captivity.
“The children are here, they are crying so that we will not waste our lives. Please help us all. We need your help. Help us all. Don’t neglect us all,” she said.
The Oyo State Police Command on Sunday said it is aware of the viral video showing abducted school staff of a school in Oyo State seeking help and has commenced investigation.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed this in a telephone conversation with newsmen while reacting to inquiries on the authenticity of the video.
“I have seen the video, we are working on it,” Olayinka said. When asked to confirm the authenticity of the video, he said: “I cannot confirm that to you. The same way you have been seeing it, that is how we have been seeing it too. We are working on it.”
The Oyo State Police Command on Sunday formally confirmed receipt of the viral video currently circulating across various media platforms in relation to the Friday abduction incident in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, in a statement issued by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, in Ibadan.
Ayanlade said: “Consequently, the footage is presently undergoing comprehensive forensic examination to determine its authenticity and further aid ongoing investigations, rescue operations, as well as the identification and arrest of the perpetrators behind the heinous act.
“Following the commencement of these investigative procedures, the command reassures residents of its unwavering commitment towards ensuring the safe return and reunification of all abducted persons with their families.
“To this end, intensive operational, intelligence-driven, and tactical efforts in collaboration with other security agencies are ongoing to secure the victims unharmed and bring all those responsible to justice.”
The command therefore urged members of the public to remain calm, law-abiding, and continue to cooperate with the police and other security agencies by providing credible and timely information capable of assisting ongoing operations and investigations.
“Members of the public are equally advised to refrain from sharing unverified information, misleading content, or materials capable of heightening tension and creating unnecessary panic, as such situations are often exploited by criminal elements and enemies of peace to further their sinister objectives.
“Consequently, anyone with useful information capable of aiding the ongoing investigation, rescue operations, and arrest of the perpetrators is encouraged to promptly relay same to the appropriate authorities or nearest security agency for immediate action,” he urged.
The command reassured residents that no effort would be spared in ensuring the safe rescue and reunification of the abducted victims with their families. The PPRO said the command remains resolute and fully committed to restoring normalcy, sustaining ongoing operations, and ensuring that all those connected with the incident are brought to justice in accordance with the laws of the land.
The disturbing development has triggered widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians expressing concern over worsening insecurity and calling for the immediate rescue of the victims.
The combination of the Friday attacks on four villages in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, the killing of two persons, the burning of a car, the abduction of over 45 pupils alongside a teacher into the Old Oyo National Park forest, and the emotional video appeal from the abducted school principal and other captives crying out for help, has placed renewed pressure on the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, and the security agencies to deliver on their commitment to rescue the victims unharmed and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The Alaafin’s call for a total overhaul of the country’s security architecture, his insistence that the ultimate solution is more political than military, and his demand for a holistic approach to intelligence gathering that works with communities rather than treating them as collateral damage, sets the tone for a national conversation about how Nigeria responds to the worsening security situation that has now reached the gates of schools and communities in Oyo State and beyond.
For the over 45 pupils, the teacher, the school principal Mrs. Alamu, the church worker Temitope, and the other captives who have been held in the forests of the Old Oyo National Park since Friday, the prayers of a watchful nation are now directed at one outcome: their safe return, alive and unharmed, to the families and communities that have been waiting and crying out for them.
The post “We Have Been Here Since Friday, We Need Help” — Abducted Oyo Principal Cries Out In Viral Video As Police Begin Forensic Examination appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
