It has been 50 days since dozens of pupils and education workers were abducted from communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, and the victims remain unaccounted for.
The victims, drawn from Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, L.A. Primary School, and Community Grammar School in Esiele, were kidnapped on May 15, 2026, and are believed to have been taken into the Old Oyo National Park.
The incident, involving 42 pupils and education workers, has continued to raise concerns over security in the South-West, a region previously considered less vulnerable to insurgent attacks.
According to intelligence reports, the abductors are suspected members of Boko Haram who allegedly operated from forest camps within the Old Oyo National Park.
Security analysts say the attack highlights the growing mobility of insurgent groups and raises fresh concerns about the safety of rural communities and schools across the country.
A recent visit to the affected communities revealed an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.
Security personnel remain deployed across the area, with movement restricted as military operations continue.
Several access roads have been barricaded, while residents have been warned against entering areas considered unsafe.
Communication has also been affected, with mobile phone networks unavailable in parts of the communities.
Many homes have been abandoned as residents fled following reports of security threats, including fears that explosives may have been planted in some locations.
Community members who remain in the area say they continue to live in fear, with daily activities severely disrupted.
Access to residents is now tightly controlled, with visitors required to obtain permission from community leaders before entering affected areas.
Although security operations remain ongoing, families of the abducted pupils and education workers continue to wait anxiously for news of their loved ones, 50 days after the incident.
