Oyo State Governor Sheyima Kinde has led a delegation of state officials to the suburb of Ubumosho in Noriru local government area, where the marks of a devastating mass abduction that occurred 14 days ago remain painfully evident. According to Channels Television, 39 people including teachers and pupils, mostly children, were taken captive by armed gunmen from a CLA community school, and residents have since fled their once peaceful homes.
The abduction has triggered widespread outrage across the state, with protests breaking out in both Ubumosho and the state capital Ibadan. Teachers and civil society groups have taken to the streets demanding that all necessary measures be taken to bring the victims back safely. The demonstrations reflect growing frustration with the security situation and the prolonged captivity of the hostages.
As the grief of the relatives intensifies with each passing day, families of the kidnapped victims made passionate and emotional appeals directly to Governor Kinde during his visit to the community. The scenes were described as heart-wrenching, with parents and relatives pleading for the safe return of their loved ones, many of whom are young children who were taken from their school.
Responding to the appeals, Governor Kinde expressed deep sympathy with the people of the community and the affected families. He noted that this incident represents the first time in Nigeria's history that an abduction has involved such a large number of under-age children taken directly from a school setting, underlining the unprecedented nature of the crisis facing his state.
The mass abduction in Oyo State adds to the growing list of kidnapping incidents across Nigeria, where armed groups continue to target schools, travellers and communities for ransom. Security analysts have warned that the spread of kidnapping from the country's northwest to states like Oyo in the southwest represents a dangerous expansion of criminal activity that threatens to overwhelm local security forces and erode public confidence in the government's ability to protect its citizens.