Oyo State Students Teachers Kidnapped as 39 students and 7 teachers are abducted in Oriire LGA, with details of victims now released
Details have emerged on the mass abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where gunmen reportedly kidnapped 39 students and seven teachers across Ahoro-Esinele and neighbouring communities in the early hours of Friday, 18 May 2026.
The incident, now described as the Oyo State Students Teachers Kidnapped case, has thrown several communities into panic after residents confirmed the scale of the attack in a statement obtained on Sunday evening.
According to community sources, the attackers also made away with four motorcycles during the operation, which targeted schools and residential areas in the affected communities.
Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the incident and stated that investigations and search-and-rescue operations are ongoing to secure the safe return of the victims.
Among the abducted teachers are school administrators and classroom instructors, including Mrs Alamu Folawe, the Principal of Community High School, and Mr Ojo Jonathan, the Vice Principal, alongside several other staff members.
Other kidnapped teachers include Mr Olatunde Zacchaeus, Mr John Olaleye, Mr Michael Oyedokun, Mrs Oladeji, and Mary Akanbi of Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.
The abducted students, drawn from Ahoro-Esinele, Yawota, Oniya and Alawusa communities, include children aged between two and sixteen years, highlighting the scale and severity of the attack.
Among the victims are Rashida Tajudeen (11), Ahmed Ramoni (8), Abdulsalam Toyib (4), Baraka Abioye (16), Fatimo Jimoh (15), Hassan Azeez (14), Joshua Adeleke (13), and several others across different age groups.
Other affected children include Samuel Oyedele (7), Emmanuel Oyedele (4), Idowu Taiwo (4), Christianah Akanbi (2), Juwon Sunday (7), Sikiru Salami (3), Soliu Salami (4), Ojo Joseph (8), Lydia Adewole (8), Testimony Jacob (5), and Kehinde Kaosara (7), among others.
Additional victims from other communities include Shuaibu Aliyu (10), Ahmed Aliyu (7), Muiz Aliyu (5), Jomiloju Ogunlola (6), Agune Noha (8), Elizabeth Abadi (5), Tosin Abadi (9), Pius Stephen (5), Hannah Ojo (14), Habidat Ayanwale (7), Mary Gabriel (6), and Jacob Gabriel.
Security agencies are said to have intensified efforts to track the kidnappers and rescue the victims, while anxiety continues to grow among families and residents across the affected communities.
Abduction of students and teachers in Oyo State incident incident has further heightened concerns over school security and rural safety in parts of the state.
