By Our Correspondent

National News – The abduction of teachers and students from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has triggered fear across Ogbomoso communities as security agencies intensify rescue operations.

The Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, deployed additional detectives from Abuja to support ongoing efforts aimed at rescuing the victims safely.

The attack happened on Friday morning when armed men stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School; and L.A. Primary School, Esiele.

According to Governor Seyi Makinde, seven students were kidnapped from Community Secondary School, while 18 pupils and seven teachers were abducted from First Baptist Primary and Nursery School.

One resident was reportedly killed during the invasion.

The incident caused widespread panic in Ogbomoso, with parents rushing to schools to withdraw their children amid rumours of bandits invading the town and nearby Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.

Some students reportedly fled classrooms through windows as fear spread across communities.

However, the Oyo State Police Command dismissed reports of bandits infiltrating Ogbomoso and described the claims as false alarms caused by misinformation.

Police investigations revealed that suspicious individuals seen near a school were actually a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps officer and two civilians visiting the area.

Traditional rulers across Ogbomosoland have now appealed to President Bola Tinubu to establish a military base in Oriire to combat rising insecurity and protect farming communities.

The Oodua People’s Congress and activist Sunday Igboho also called for stronger regional security action, warning that armed gangs are expanding operations into South-West communities.

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria condemned the attack, describing it as a national security failure and demanding urgent government intervention.