Fresh outrage has erupted over the recent abduction of pupils, students, and teachers in Oyo State as the Yoruba Council of Elders warned that schools across the South-West are gradually becoming unsafe spaces for learning.
The respected socio-cultural body condemned the coordinated attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area, describing the incident as a dangerous sign that insecurity is creeping deeper into the education sector and threatening the future of children in Yorubaland.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its Secretary-General, Oladipo Oyewole, the group said the abduction of innocent pupils and teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esinele; and L.A. Primary School was not only an attack on Oyo State, but a direct assault on education, humanity, and the future of the South-West.
“Schools must never become hunting grounds for kidnappers and bandits,” Oyewole declared.
The council expressed deep concern over what it described as the growing vulnerability of rural schools, warning that continued attacks on educational institutions could force parents to withdraw children from schools out of fear.
According to the group, the frightening trend now poses a major threat to educational access, teachers’ safety, and the stability of learning environments across the region.
The statement called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately deploy special security forces, intelligence teams, and emergency logistics support to rescue all abducted victims and prevent further attacks on schools.
“In the face of this ugly occurrence, we call on the Federal Government to immediately deploy special forces, intelligence assets and logistics support to ensure the safe and unconditional release of all abducted victims,” the council stated.
The elders warned that Yorubaland must not be allowed to slide into the same pattern of mass school abductions that previously devastated parts of Northern Nigeria.
“Yorubaland cannot afford to become the next frontier of mass abduction,” Oyewole warned.
Describing the Oyo attack as a symptom of a broader national security crisis, the council urged governors across Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Lagos states to urgently strengthen regional security collaboration beyond political affiliations.
The group specifically demanded the expansion and reinforcement of the Amotekun Corps through improved training, modern equipment, intelligence-driven operations, and stronger legal backing.
According to the organisation, protecting schools must now become a regional emergency priority, especially for communities located close to forests and isolated rural settlements.
The council also called for the immediate establishment of Armed School Protection Units in vulnerable local government areas to safeguard teachers, pupils, and school facilities from future attacks.
“There should be the deployment of Armed School Protection Units in high-risk local government areas, especially those bordering forest spaces,” Oyewole said.
The elders further urged South-West governors to engage local security stakeholders, traditional institutions, and indigenous security networks in efforts to secure communities against criminal infiltration.
“It is necessary at this crucial period for the six governors in the South-West to recognise the statutory roles of the office of the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, along with Chief Adeniyi Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, and other indigenous security actors in promoting peace and protecting lives,” the statement added.
The council also appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to establish a joint South-West security task force capable of sharing intelligence in real time and tracking the movement of criminal groups across state boundaries.
Beyond the security implications, the organisation stressed that attacks on schools have devastating educational consequences, warning that persistent fear and trauma could worsen school dropout rates and disrupt learning in already vulnerable communities.
“Our children must not become collateral damage in Nigeria’s security crisis,” Oyewole said. “Every delay in taking decisive action puts another child’s future at risk and deepens the fears of parents and teachers.”
The group also sympathised with families of abducted students and teachers, particularly the family of the mathematics teacher reportedly murdered during the attack, praying for strength and comfort for all affected families.
The latest intervention from the Yoruba Council of Elders adds to mounting calls from education stakeholders, parents, and civil society organisations demanding urgent and coordinated action to prevent Nigerian schools from becoming centres of fear, violence, and abduction.
