IBADAN, NIGERIA — The Oyo State Government has appealed to parents in Oriire Local Government Area to send their children back to school, as students continue to stay away following a recent abduction incident that traumatised the community.
The abduction, which occurred earlier in September 2026, involved the kidnapping of pupils and teachers from a school in Oriire. The victims were later rescued following a coordinated operation by security agencies, but the incident left deep psychological scars on the community, prompting many parents to keep their children at home out of fear for their safety.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Salihu Adelabu, made the appeal on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting in Oriire. He said the government had taken significant steps to improve security in schools across the state and that there was no reason for parents to continue keeping their children out of school.
“We understand the fear and anxiety that parents are experiencing, but we appeal to them to allow their children to return to school. The government has taken concrete measures to ensure the safety of our students and teachers. We have deployed security personnel to schools, installed surveillance cameras, and strengthened collaboration with community leaders and security agencies,” Adelabu stated.
The Commissioner said the government had also established a rapid response mechanism to address any security threats in schools and that school administrators had been trained on emergency response procedures. He assured parents that their children would be safe and that the government would not relent in its efforts to protect lives and property.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that our schools are safe. We have deployed security personnel, installed cameras, and established a rapid response system. We appeal to parents to cooperate with us by sending their children back to school. Education is the future of our children, and we cannot allow fear to rob them of their future,” he said.
The Chairman of Oriire Local Government Area, Hon. Olusegun Adeyemi, also appealed to parents to allow their children to return to school. He said the local government had been working with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community groups to restore confidence in the community and to ensure that schools were safe.
“We have held meetings with community leaders, and we have agreed on measures to improve security in our schools. We urge parents to trust the government and to allow their children to return to school. We will not allow the enemies of our community to succeed in their evil plans,” Adeyemi said.
Some parents who attended the meeting expressed their concerns, noting that the trauma of the abduction was still fresh in their minds. They called on the government to provide more security in schools and to ensure that the perpetrators of the abduction were brought to justice.
“We are not trying to be difficult. We are just afraid for our children. We want the government to assure us that our children will be safe. We want to see more security in our schools, and we want the criminals who abducted our children to be punished,” said Mrs. Funmilayo Adebayo, a parent.
The Commissioner assured the parents that the government would address their concerns and that the perpetrators of the abduction would face the full weight of the law. He said the government had already made significant progress in the investigation and that more arrests would be made.
“The perpetrators of this heinous crime will not go unpunished. We have made arrests, and we are working to ensure that all those involved are brought to justice. We will not rest until our schools are safe and our children can learn without fear,” Adelabu said.
The meeting ended with a resolution to intensify community engagement and to work towards the safe return of all students to school. The government also announced plans to provide psychological support to students and teachers affected by the incident. For now, the appeal from the government is clear: parents should send their children back to school, and the government will do everything possible to protect them.
