Families of children abducted during a terrorist attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have continued to plead for government intervention, 14 days after the incident.
One of the victims’ guardians, Aduke Balogun, made an emotional appeal during a condolence and solidarity visit by the Oriire Youth Council to affected communities in Esinele and Yawota.
A video from the visit, shared on Facebook page Oriire ni tiwa, surfaced online on Friday, drawing widespread reactions.
Balogun, a hired worker who said she has no relatives in the community, explained that she had moved to Yawota for work and was solely responsible for raising her ward, Kehinde Kaosarat.
“I am the father of the child and the mother of the child. Her parents are not here. Me too, I have no one. I came here as a hired worker,” she said tearfully.
Recounting the day of the attack, Balogun said residents initially mistook the attackers for security personnel.
“In the morning, we bathed our children and they went to school. After 9am, we saw some people dressed like soldiers. We thought they were visitors,” she said.
She said panic erupted moments later when gunshots rang out across the community.
“Before we knew it, we started hearing gunshots. Everybody started running around. Nobody was around,” she added.
Balogun said she briefly saw Kaosarat during the confusion before losing sight of her.
Her plea to authorities was simple but urgent.
“Please help me. We are visitors. We are begging the government. We know they are working, but they should help free our children,” she said.
Another resident, Madam Agnes, also narrated how parents and residents fled into the bush as the attack unfolded.
“Shortly after 9am, the children resumed school. The bandits who were dressed as soldiers passed and we thought they were visitors. Suddenly, we started hearing loud gunshots,” she said.
“Nobody stayed. Everybody started running. Nobody stopped to wait for the children.”
Agnes said the attackers had already killed a youth in Yawota before residents fled toward Esinele, unaware that danger had spread there as well.
“Please, we are begging. They are small children,” she cried.
The Elesinele of Esinele, Tajudeen Abioye, confirmed that several pupils, teachers and school officials were abducted during the attack.
“What happened is that kidnappers entered this town on Friday. They abducted our children, teachers and the principal,” the monarch said.
He appealed for both divine intervention and government action, saying, “God should please have mercy on us and should not let us be known for bad things.”
The attack occurred on May 15 when armed men on motorcycles stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Ahoro-Esinele and L.A. Primary School in Oriire LGA around 9:30am.
Several pupils, students and staff members were abducted.
Among the victims was mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, who was later killed by the abductors. A video of the killing was subsequently circulated online. The vice principal, Mrs Alamu Folawe, was also taken away.
The Defence Headquarters later identified the attackers as suspected JAS terrorists displaced from insurgent enclaves in the North-East.
Authorities said the abductors had opened communication with the Oyo State government but refused to negotiate with families, insisting they would only speak with Governor Seyi Makinde.
Governor Makinde’s Special Adviser on Security, Abayomi Fagbenro, has since dismissed social media reports claiming the victims had been rescued, describing the reports as false.
