Pressure is building on the Oyo State Government after armed men who kidnapped pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area made contact and issued ransom demands. The abductors are reportedly refusing to speak with families of the victims and want to negotiate only with Governor Seyi Makinde. Officials have not disclosed the amount or conditions being requested.

The attack happened last Friday across three schools: Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School, Esiele. Governor Makinde stated that seven students were seized from Community Secondary School, while 18 pupils and seven teachers were taken from First Baptist Primary and Nursery School. One person died during the raid. In all, 39 students and seven teachers are believed to be in captivity.

Two teachers have been confirmed dead. Michael Oyedokun was reportedly killed and beheaded in captivity, an act security sources say was meant to scare off advancing operatives. Adesiyan Adegboye, 49, was shot during the school invasion and was buried on Friday in Owolake, Ogbomoso, after a lying-in-state at Ayegun Baptist Church.

Rescue efforts have been scaled up. A police helicopter is on standby in an identified area, and military aircraft are flying daily over forested zones where the victims may be held. The Defence Headquarters linked the kidnapping to JAS terrorists pushed out of other regions. According to Commissioner for Information Dotun Oyelade, the state’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad is active, with joint teams and local hunters combing forests linked to the Old Oyo National Park.

The victims, including children aged two and three, have been held for over a week. Residents say the kidnappers are moving them through dense forests and across state borders to avoid security forces. The incident has caused panic in Ogbomoso and nearby towns, prompting parents to pull children out of schools. Some schools have closed temporarily.

Governor Makinde’s Special Adviser on Security, Abayomi Fagbenro, declined to share details of the ongoing response, saying he could not provide information at the moment. Authorities are withholding negotiation specifics, citing risks to the captives. A government source stressed that all resources would be used to secure the victims’ release, adding that “human lives are more important than money and ego.” Families continue to urge the state to meet the kidnappers’ demands, while security agencies insist operations to free the pupils and teachers are in progress.