Traffic on one of Ibadan’s busiest highways came to a standstill Monday morning 22nd of June as protesters from the Take It Back Movement occupied the Iwo Road interchange, demanding urgent government action to free 46 schoolchildren and teachers abducted from Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, on May 15, 2026.
The protest marks 35 days since the attack, with victims’ families and activists warning that “government officials remain in the comfort of their offices while innocent students and their teachers are languishing in kidnappers’ dens”.
The May 15 Attack: How 46 Were Taken
On Friday, May 15, 2026, gunmen stormed three schools in Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire LGA: Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; L.A. Primary School; and Community Grammar School, Esiele.
Witnesses say the attackers arrived on motorcycles around 8 a.m., firing indiscriminately and abducting 39 pupils and 7 teachers. Among the captives is 2-year-old Christianah Akanbi, the youngest victim.
The assault was brutal: one teacher was killed on site and another, 57-year-old mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was later beheaded in captivity. Gunmen also stole four motorcycles from the communities.
Who Are the Abductors? Ansaru Linked to Attack
Security sources identify the perpetrators as members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan (Ansaru), a Boko Haram splinter group. Ansaru, designated a terrorist organization, operates sleeper cells and forest bases across Nigeria.
The kidnappers’ demands have shifted over time:
1. Initial demands: Release of two detained Ansaru commanders – Mahmud Usman “Abu Bara’a” and his deputy Abubakar Abba “Al-Nigeri”, ransom payment, two Hilux vehicles, and implementation of Sharia law.
2. Current focus: Security sources say the group has “dropped some of their earlier demands” and is now “largely focused on securing ransom payment”. Early ransom demands were reportedly ₦300 million, later reduced to ₦150 million.
Security Operation: Kidnappers Trapped in Old Oyo National Park
In response, Nigerian security forces launched a joint operation involving the Army, Police, Civil Defence Agro Rangers, Amotekun Corps, and local vigilantes. Intelligence traced the kidnappers to a hideout within Old Oyo National Park, a 2,512 sq km forest stretching toward the Niger border.
By late May, officials confirmed the terrorists had been “effectively confined within the National Park axis” with all escape routes sealed.
The terrain is proving deadly. The forest is littered with improvised explosive devices and the kidnappers frequently relocate hostages to avoid detection.
At least three soldiers have been killed during clashes, with rescue teams also encountering explosives that wounded several personnel.
Deputy Inspector-General Adegoke Fayoade assured the public of “round-the-clock efforts for a safe rescue without discussing ransom”. The Chief of Defence Staff has deployed special forces and aerial surveillance drones to the area.
Strike, Protests, and Fear in Oyo
The unresolved abduction has paralyzed education in Oyo. The Nigeria Union of Teachers declared an indefinite statewide strike from June 1, 2026, until the victims are freed. Schools remain closed, and parents fear sending children to class.
Monday’s Iwo Road protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations by Take It Back Movement. Led by National Coordinator Juwon Sanyaolu, protesters blocked the interchange from 10 a.m., carrying placards reading “Security for all, not for a few” and “Government must end kidnapping in Oyo State”.
Sanyaolu vowed: “We will continue to protest for the release of all abducted victims until they are free… We are demanding freedom for all captives in the North, South, East and West of Nigeria”. He also criticized politicians for focusing on 2027 elections while insecurity persists.
Governor Seyi Makinde has vowed to prevent “another Chibok tragedy”.
President Bola Tinubu dispatched a high-powered delegation led by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila and NSA Nuhu Ribadu to Ogbomoso to coordinate rescue efforts.
Southwest No Longer Safe
The Oyo abduction is significant because mass school kidnappings were once concentrated in northern Nigeria. The May 15 attack marks a rare expansion of high-profile raids into the South-West, a region previously considered relatively secure.
Security experts warn that forest reserves like Old Oyo National Park have become “major infiltration routes” for bandits fleeing military operations in the North. With over 1,600 schoolchildren abducted from Nigerian schools since 2014, the Oyo case has reignited debate on school security and the government’s ₦145 billion Safe Schools Initiative.
As of June 22, 2026, the 46 victims remain in captivity. Police have debunked viral social media claims of their release as “false, misleading, and entirely unsubstantiated”. Security forces maintain the kidnappers are surrounded but face tough terrain and IEDs.
Details may evolve as rescue operations continue.
