Teachers in Yawota community, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, say they remain gripped by fear of fresh bandit attacks weeks after 39 pupils and seven teachers abducted from schools in the area were released from a 56-day captivity.

Speaking to journalists, a teacher in the community said many of his colleagues remain uncertain about the adequacy of security arrangements put in place by the government, adding that schools in Oriire currently have no dedicated security presence protecting them.

Yawota was one of three communities in Oriire LGA struck on May 15 when armed men riding motorcycles simultaneously attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School in the Ahoro-Esiele axis, abducting dozens of pupils and teachers, including the principal of Baptist Nursery and Primary School.

A mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was killed by his captors during the ordeal, while a two-year-old child was also taken in the raid. The kidnappers threatened on multiple occasions to kill their captives unless their demands, reportedly linked to the release of detained commanders, were met.

The victims were eventually freed in a security operation after 56 days in captivity, with eight suspected kidnappers arrested and several others reportedly killed in the rescue effort.

Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration maintained that no ransom was paid to secure their release, describing the operation as proof that the state would not bow to pressure to negotiate with armed groups.

Despite the successful rescue, teachers in the affected communities say the underlying security gaps that allowed the attack to happen have not been fully addressed. Residents and local leaders have previously pointed to the proximity of Oriire’s communities to forest reserves and the difficulty security operatives face reaching areas like Yawota quickly, given their distance from the nearest police stations, as key vulnerabilities exploited by the attackers.

With schools resuming activities, teachers say the absence of visible security around their compounds continues to leave them exposed to the risk of another attack.

Photo Credit: Facebook