The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has warned that the recent abduction of schoolchildren and staff in Oyo State signals a dangerous shift in the security landscape of the South-West, urging urgent regional coordination to prevent further escalation.

Adams made the call while reacting to the attack in Oyo State, where armed assailants invaded a school in the Oriire Local Government Area, abducting pupils, students, and staff members.

One teacher was reportedly killed during the incident, sparking widespread outrage and renewed security concerns across the region.

He described the incident as “sad and highly condemnable,” stressing that the South-West can no longer assume it is insulated from the wave of kidnappings and violent attacks that have affected other parts of the country.

According to him, the pattern of insecurity now demands urgent preparedness and coordinated action among state governments, security agencies, and local communities.

“We have had a series of kidnappings in different states, but we have not witnessed mass kidnapping in Yorubaland, and that shows that the Yoruba race in the South-West must prepare for this issue of insecurity,” Adams said.

He also noted that repeated warnings about the infiltration of criminal groups into South-West states—including Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, and Ogun—had not received adequate attention, calling for stronger intelligence sharing and a unified security strategy across the region.

The incident has prompted renewed concern from state and federal authorities. Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed that one of the abducted victims, a teacher, was killed, while efforts were ongoing to secure the release of others still in captivity.

President Bola Tinubu also condemned the attack and assured that security agencies had been directed to intensify operations aimed at rescuing the abducted victims and restoring order in the affected communities.

Security analysts say the attack in Oriire has further heightened fears of expanding criminal activity in the South-West, reinforcing long-standing calls for improved coordination between conventional security agencies and regional security networks.

The development has reignited debate on the need for stronger local intelligence systems and more proactive security measures to prevent further incidents across Nigeria.