Residents reported the gunmen arrived on motorbikes about 9 a.m., just after schools began their daily exercises.

Terrorists raided three schools in Oyo State’s Orire Local Government Area on Friday, killing an assistant headmaster, kidnapping teachers and students, and causing fear in numerous towns in what residents described as one of the most coordinated attacks on schools in recent memory.

Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Esiele, and L.A. Primary School were all affected.

According to PUNCH, the gunmen raided the towns in broad daylight, marching from one school to the next and shooting intermittently while scared students and teachers fled into surrounding woods for cover.

Residents said the gunmen arrived around 9am on motorcycles shortly after schools had commenced morning activities.

“They came in large numbers on motorcycles and started shooting immediately. Everybody ran. They moved from one school to another within minutes,” a resident narrated.

According to sources, the attackers worked together to invade the schools practically simultaneously, causing uncertainty across the community.

During the attack, Joel Adesiyan, the Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, was shot dead while attempting to escape through a window.

“The assistant head teacher was trying to escape through the window, but he was shot dead,” a resident said.

Another victim, an okada rider, was reportedly murdered after unintentionally riding into the scene of the attack and was caught in crossfire.

Residents stated the terrorists kidnapped Community Grammar School’s principal, Mrs Rachael Alamu, as well as five instructors and numerous students, the precise number of whom was unknown as of Friday night.

“They also took several pupils,” one source added.

The attack has generated fear throughout the area, with many parents unable to locate their children hours later.

According to reports, the gunmen used the principal’s vehicle to take some of the abducted victims out of the town before allegedly setting fire to the vehicle after it developed a malfunction while attempting to flee over difficult terrain.

“The schools are very close to each other, so the attack affected both at the same time. They used the principal’s car to move some of the abducted victims, but when the vehicle could not continue, they abandoned it and set it ablaze,” another resident said.

The traditional ruler of the community, Oba Tajudeen Abioye, confirmed the incident, revealing that the terrorists arrived on eight motorcycles carrying two armed men each.

“We were having a town hall meeting when we suddenly heard gunshots. People started running in all directions. Later, we discovered they had attacked the schools, killed a teacher and abducted pupils and the principal,” the monarch said.

He lamented that even kindergarten pupils were abducted during the invasion.

“They did not spare anyone. They abducted pupils from both primary and secondary schools, including very small children. We cannot even confirm the number yet,” he added.

Oba Abioye also blamed the scale of the attack on the absence of a nearby police station, saying security operatives arrived nearly two hours after the terrorists had fled.

“The police station is far from our community. It took them about two hours before they arrived,” he said.

Following the attack, the terrorists reportedly escaped into a forest reserve around the Old Oyo National Park axis while security operatives launched a rescue operation.

Ayodeji Abimbola, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, is claimed to have led tactical teams to the region while troops and police agents searched the forests for the abductors and victims.

Residents, on the other hand, reported that terror persisted in the villages, with numerous families fleeing their houses for fear of another attack.

Michael Olateju, Chairman of Orire Local Government Area, stated that the assailants came via the Yawota axis, describing the terrain as inaccessible and difficult to access fast.

“They entered through Yawota. The area is far from the nearest police station. It is not easy to access quickly,” he said.

A former lawmaker representing Oriire Constituency, Bamigboye Abidoye, said the attackers exploited the communities’ proximity to forest reserves.

“The bandits attacked the schools on motorcycles. They moved quickly between communities and abducted pupils and teachers. We need a military post around these areas,” he said.

One relative of a missing student told Punch that his 16-year-old niece, a JSS2 student, had remained missing since leaving home for school on Friday morning.

“She left home for school around 7am, and we have not seen her since then. We have searched everywhere, but we are not sure if she is among the kidnapped victims or if she ran away. She is the daughter of my sister, and the whole family is worried,” he said.