A secondary school principal, Mrs. Alamu, alongside several teachers and students, has reportedly been kidnapped by suspected gunmen in Oyo State, sparking concerns over rising insecurity in the area.
Mrs. Alamu, who identified herself as the principal of Community High School, Esinele, made the revelation in a viral video circulating on social media on Sunday. She explained that the attack occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Friday in Oriire Local Government Area.
According to her, armed men stormed the school premises and forcefully took away members of staff and students.
“On Friday at around 9:30, we were attacked by a certain group of people. A good number of us were abducted, the staff and the students as well,” she said in the emotional appeal.
She appealed to the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, the Christian Association of Nigeria, and other concerned Nigerians to come to their rescue and ensure their safe release.
“We have been here since Friday. I am making this video to ask for help from everyone. They should come to our help and settle this thing peacefully so that our lives will not be lost,” she added.
Another captive, identified as Temitope, who appeared in the video carrying a baby, also pleaded for urgent intervention.
“Hi, I’m from Ibadan. I’m working at First Baptist Church in Ogbomosho. Yesterday, the people came to our school and we have kidnapped both the teachers and the children” she said.
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“We are all here, we need help from the federal government and the state government, both the church, First Baptist Church and the community. We need your help so that these people will release us. Please help us.
She further lamented the condition of the abducted children, saying they had been crying in captivity.
“The children are here, they are crying so that we will not waste our lives. Please help us all. We need your help. Help us all. Don’t neglect us all.
Although the authenticity and original source of the video could not be independently verified by journalists as of press time, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed that the police were aware of the footage.
“I have seen the video, we are working on it,” he said.
The reported abduction comes shortly after armed men were said to have invaded a secondary school in the Ahoro-Esinele community of Oriire Local Government Area, where the principal and several students were allegedly taken away.
The development has since generated reactions across social media platforms, with many Nigerians expressing fears over worsening insecurity and urging authorities to secure the victims’ freedom as quickly as possible.