Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, who represents Oyo North Senatorial District, has provided details of the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, revealing that the attackers allegedly carried out surveillance in the affected communities before the raid.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News Prime Time, Buhari said the gunmen moved between Yawota and Esiele communities, targeting schools and abducting students and teachers.
According to him, the attackers first struck in Yawota, where they abducted nine students before moving to nearby Esiele, which is about five to eight minutes away by road.
He said the gunmen later returned to Yawota and abducted additional students and teachers.
Buhari disclosed that one teacher was shot while attempting to escape through a window during the attack. He also said a commercial motorcyclist was shot after the attackers allegedly mistook him for someone pursuing them.
The senator noted that the affected schools are located in remote rural communities and consist of only a few classrooms, making them vulnerable to attacks.
He further recounted how unusual business activity in one of the communities preceded the abduction.
According to Buhari, a local woman who sold beans and bread recorded unusually high sales in the two days before the attack, earning between N10,000 and N20,000 daily compared to her usual income of about N1,000.
He said the woman believed business was thriving and did not report the unusual patronage to community leaders or school authorities.
Buhari stated that it was later discovered that the customers were allegedly members of the kidnapping group conducting surveillance ahead of the operation.
He stressed the importance of timely information-sharing in preventing such attacks, noting that suspicious activities within communities should be promptly reported to relevant authorities.
The abduction of students and teachers in Yawota and Esiele has continued to generate concern, with calls for improved security measures and stronger protection for schools in vulnerable communities.
