Panic gripped residents of Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on Thursday after some gunmen reportedly invaded a secondary school in the area and abducted an unspecified number of students alongside the school principal.

The attack was said to have occurred between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. at Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, throwing the community into confusion as residents and parents scrambled for information about the victims.

Sources within the community disclosed that the abductors also kidnapped the school principal, identified as Mrs. Rachael Alamu, during the attack.

The gunmen were further said to have shot a teacher before fleeing the scene.

According to a source close to the community, the attackers later drove away the principal in her vehicle and escaped through a forest reserve bordering the area.

“An unspecified number of students were abducted. We don’t know the exact number yet. The school principal, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, was also abducted and they shot a teacher,” the source said.

“The police station is far from the community. The nearest police station should be Ikoyi Division,” the source added.

The incident reportedly created tension within the community as parents and relatives besieged the school premises amid fears over the safety of the abducted students and staff.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Oyo State Police Command, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed that there was an attack in the area.

He, however, did not immediately confirm whether students or staff members were abducted.
“There was an attack in that area. The Commissioner of Police is on his way to the area,” Ayanlade said during a telephone conversation.

Security operatives were said to have commenced efforts to track the attackers, while residents called for increased security presence in rural communities vulnerable to criminal attacks.