Nigerian military authorities announced on Thursday that armed fighters linked to Boko Haram were responsible for the abduction of scores of students and teachers in Oyo State, located in southern Nigeria.
A military spokesperson issued a statement clarifying that the perpetrators belonged to the jihadist faction Jama’at Ahl al-Sunnah li-l-Da’awah wa al-Jihad, widely recognized as Boko Haram. The communiqué noted that these militants had shifted their operations southward after facing heavy resistance from intensified military campaigns in the country’s northern regions.
The assaults occurred last Friday in the communities of Yawota and Esiele, where heavily armed gunmen stormed multiple educational institutions. Official figures on the number of victims vary: the Christian Association of Nigeria reported 39 children and seven teachers were kidnapped, while Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed 25 students and seven educators had been taken.
Security forces are now conducting urgent search operations to locate the abducted victims, whose ages range from 2 to 16 years, along with their teachers.
While school kidnappings have become alarmingly common in northern Nigeria, such incidents in Oyo State—home to the bustling educational hub of Ibadan—remain rare, raising concerns among local authorities and communities.
In response to the escalating violence, the Nigerian military, with assistance from American forces, has significantly ramped up counter-insurgency efforts in the north. Military analysts suggest this intensified pressure may have pushed some jihadist elements toward southern territories.
Recent joint airstrikes in the northeast—a historical stronghold of Boko Haram—are reported to have resulted in the deaths of 175 militants, according to defense officials.
Over the past several months, armed groups have escalated attacks on both civilian populations and security personnel. Official records indicate that 306 Nigerian soldiers lost their lives in the first quarter of the year, according to data from security intelligence firm SBM Intelligence, based in Abuja.