Terrorists target more schools in ‘dangerous shift’

…bare fangs in Abuja, Ogun, Kogi, Kebbi, Edo, Niger, others 

By Nnamdi Ojiego

A fresh wave of kidnappings, bandit attacks and attempted mass abductions across several states has renewed concerns that criminal gangs are expanding their operations despite repeated assurances by security agencies that they are being degraded.

From attacks on schools and communities in Kogi and Edo to the abduction of a local government vice chairman in Osun and fresh terror activities in parts of the North-West, the past week has once again exposed the fragile security situation confronting many parts of the country.

The latest incidents have also revived memories of recent kidnappings and violent attacks in other parts of the country. In Abuja, residents have continued to express concerns over recurring abductions along the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring communities.

 Human shields

 In Ogun State, troops of the 35 Artillery Brigade, working with the police, foiled an attempted abduction of Chinese expatriates at a dredging site in Magbon Village, along the Mowe axis of Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area.

The operation turned deadly as a soldier and four hostages lost their lives after the fleeing kidnappers reportedly used their captives as human shields. Although one of the attackers was killed, the assailants escaped through a river channel, underscoring the growing sophistication of kidnapping gangs.

In Kebbi State, the police confirmed the death of an Islamic cleric, Alhaji Muhammad Maibarga, who reportedly died in bandits’ captivity after he was abducted alongside a former local government party chairman.

A video allegedly released by the kidnappers showing the cleric in a deteriorating condition before his death heightened public outrage and renewed concerns over the fate of kidnap victims held for long periods.

In Osun State, gunmen invaded Ora-Igbomina in Ifedayo Local Government Area and abducted the council’s vice chairman, Mr. Debo Faroumbi. Although military personnel pursued the attackers and succeeded in rescuing three other victims, the assailants escaped into the forest with the local government official.

Security experts say the geographical spread of the attacks underscores the fact that the threat is no longer confined to a particular region but has assumed a national dimension.

 Schools shut 

 The development has particularly unsettled parents after armed men targeted students sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, while intelligence reports of planned school kidnappings forced the closure of public schools in Edo State and triggered panic in neighbouring Niger State.

The renewed focus on schools has revived memories of the wave of abductions that returned to the national spotlight barely weeks ago, reinforcing fears that terrorists and bandits may be deliberately shifting their attention to educational institutions because of the panic, publicity and bargaining power such attacks generate.

 Audacious attacks 

 On May 15, 2026, heavily armed bandits launched coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting about 49 pupils, teachers and even a toddler. The victims were taken into captivity in what security experts described as one of the most audacious school attacks in recent years.

The incident took an even darker turn after a mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was reportedly beheaded by the kidnappers, with a video of the killing circulated online in what analysts said was an attempt to instill fear and pressure authorities.

On the same day, suspected Boko Haram insurgents struck in Borno State, abducting 42 pupils, most of them toddlers and young children, from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba.

The attack, which occurred in broad daylight while classes were in session, reinforced fears that schools were once again becoming preferred targets for terrorist groups.

Those incidents triggered nationwide outrage and renewed calls for stronger protection of schools under the Safe Schools Initiative. 

However, the attempted mass abduction of students writing the WASSCE English Language examination in Kogi State and intelligence reports that forced the closure of three public schools in Edo suggest that the threat has not only persisted but may be evolving.

 Mass abduction

 One of the most disturbing incidents occurred in Iluke Bunu, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, where suspected bandits attacked a secondary school community and attempted what authorities described as a mass abduction.

The attackers, reportedly dressed in military uniforms, invaded the area while students were writing the WASSCE English Language examination.

Although security operatives eventually repelled the attack, the community paid a heavy price.

The vice principal of the school, Mr. Gani Anifowose, was killed alongside two other residents.

Initial reports indicated that some students had been taken into the bush before soldiers and other security personnel engaged the attackers and rescued them.

The state police command said the attackers arrived on about 40 motorcycles and engaged security operatives in a fierce gun battle before fleeing.

According to reports, one bandit was neutralised during the exchange, while a member of the joint security team sustained injuries.

The attack came barely hours after intelligence reports of planned kidnappings forced the Edo State Government to shut down three public secondary schools in Edo North Senatorial District.

 Shock waves 

 The Kogi attack appeared to have sent shock waves beyond the state’s borders.

In Minna, the Niger State capital, widespread rumours of impending attacks on schools created panic among residents.

Hundreds of anxious parents reportedly rushed to schools to withdraw their children, while traders hurriedly shut their businesses.

Although the police dismissed the reports as false and insisted that no school had been attacked, the incident underscored the deep fear that schoolchildren have become attractive targets for criminal gangs.

The state government and police authorities later intensified patrols around educational institutions and directed divisional police officers to work closely with school administrators under the national school protection initiative.

 Edo too

 In neighbouring Edo State, the government took the unusual step of shutting down three public secondary schools over intelligence reports of planned kidnappings.

The decision followed a leaked security memo suggesting that criminal elements were plotting attacks on schools in Edo North Senatorial District.

The affected schools, Ososo Grammar School, Ososo Comprehensive High School and Makeke Secondary School, were ordered closed until further notice.

Authorities, however, allowed candidates writing the ongoing WASSCE examinations to continue under strict security arrangements.

Government officials said the move was necessary to protect students, teachers and other school personnel while security agencies worked to neutralise the threat.

 Experts warn of dangerous evolution

 Security experts say the fresh wave of attacks across several states suggests that kidnapping in Nigeria is undergoing another transformation, with criminals becoming more daring and increasingly targeting schools, public officials and vulnerable communities.

Security analyst, Sam Otoboeze, had warned that the country’s kidnapping crisis was no longer driven solely by ransom payments but had evolved into a strategy of intimidation designed to spread fear and undermine public confidence in the ability of the state to provide security.

According to him, “the growing frequency of attacks on schools and isolated communities shows that criminal groups are carefully selecting targets capable of generating maximum psychological impact.”

To security consultant, Alfred Ononugbo, the pattern of attacks points to a deeper problem of weak intelligence coordination and inadequate protection of soft targets.

He argued that once criminal groups discover that communities, schools and rural settlements can be attacked with little resistance, they naturally return to such locations or replicate the tactics elsewhere.

The use of military uniforms by attackers in Kogi, he noted, is also a disturbing development because it exploits the trust citizens ordinarily have in security agencies and creates confusion during emergencies.

Earlier, criminologist Dr. Sunday Amosu described the increasing brutality associated with kidnapping and terrorism as a deliberate display of power meant to create shock, fear and widespread public outrage.

According to him, such acts are often calculated to convince victims and communities that resistance is futile.

For many Nigerians, the successive attacks across different regions paint a troubling picture. Parents worry about sending their children to school. Farmers remain apprehensive about returning to their farms, while many rural communities increasingly depend on local vigilantes for protection.

The experts maintained that while recent military successes against terrorists are encouraging, the country urgently requires stronger intelligence gathering, improved collaboration among security agencies, better protection for schools and rural communities, and greater support for local security networks if the tide is to be reversed.

Osun APC is a disunited opposition party

—Jamiu Olawunmi, APC chieftain

•Says party picked gov’ship running mate from Ile-Ife to spite Omisore’s camp

By Demola Akinyemi

An APC chieftain in Osun 

State, Alhaji Jamiu 

Babatunde Olawumi, formerly Special Adviser to ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola in charge of Education, is currently the spokesperson for the Otunba Iyiola Omisore Campaign Organization. In this interview, Olawumi speaks on Osun State gubernatorial election scheduled for August 15, 2026. Excerpts:

 Who is Jamiu Babatunde Olawumi?

 My name is Jamiu Babatunde Olawumi, formerly Special Adviser Cabinet to Governor Gboyega Oyetola in charge of Education. That was between 2019 and 2022. Currently, I’m into general practice, as a media person. I’m the spokesperson for Otunba Iyiola Omisore.

 You are the spokesperson for Otunba Iyiola Omisore?

 Exactly. Jamiu Olawumi is the spokesperson for the Otunba Iyiola Omisore Campaign Organization, christened ‘Osun Rescue Mission, 2026.’ 

 Ahead of the August 15 governorship election, what is the political situation in Osun State?

 It used to be 30% each to the three most probable contestants. But in recent weeks, it has been reduced to a polar contest between two most likely contestants: The incumbent, Senator Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke, and, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as Ambo. But, when it is polar like that, you have somebody who is more likely than the other person. So we have the incumbent. I can be proud to say, regrettably, that the incumbent has much more acceptability. Anyway, it is expected of the incumbent, somebody who has been there for four years. He has a lot of things to point at, “I’ve done this, I’ve done that”. Then you can also see that from the perspective of the people. Because from a reliable source, opinion poll conducted, so far, seems to favor him. So, though it’s a polar thing, Bola Oyebamiji is also in the race, from my party, All Progressives Congress. 

 Which side is your principal, Otunba Iyiola Omisore, on? Is he fully supporting the agenda of Ambo in this race? 

 I would not say he is supporting Ambo. But he’s supporting the party. You know, Omisore has been a party man. The APC is an offshoot of the seed he planted in 1998 when he funded the Alliance for Democracy (AD). So he has been a party man. On two occasions, he had reason to leave the party, because of the crisis at that time, but thank God, he’s back in the party, and with the opportunity to even be the National Secretary of the ruling APC that produced the president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So he’s in the party. However, when you have issues like this in your hands, it’s the right of an individual to be part of an association, that’s a fundamental human right. So, his right, to be in APC is sacrosanct, but that does not mean that his supporters and followers will not go to another party, that’s the circumstances that surrounded the 2026 primary election, we didn’t have a primary election, it was selection, and imposition. The events that followed were even worse because I, as a person, if you take the head, then we sit down to share the rest of the body. That’s where you have negotiation, integration, and reconciliation, which the party failed to achieve. So the group that took the head also took the neck, also took the arms and wings. So you have a situation where you have lopsidedness in the race that ought to be collective ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

 But the APC running mate is from Ife…

 It does not matter. What matters is recognition. If we were allowed to even pick the current deputy governorship candidate, Otunba Iyiola Omisore would have taken responsibility. Let me remind you. In 2023, Adereti, the deputy governorship candidate, ran for the House of Representatives. The committee that prepared and campaigned for his selection was inaugurated in Omisore’s house, and sponsored by our own Omisore. So, he used to be a homeboy to Otunba. But circumstances that brought him here now create some reservations because he was picked to spite Omisore’s camp. Adereti is not the only person from Ile Ife. The incumbent deputy governor of Governor Ademola Adeleke, Prince Sola Adewusi, is also from Ife, he’s in fact Omisore’s younger brother. So, head or tail, Ife is in the race.

 Let me put it this way. If we deeply look at your narration now, it implies that supporters of Otunba Omisore are free to go to any party they want and vote for any candidate of their choice…

 Yes, because political parties are free entry and free exit. 

Some people say that your party APC might lose in the Osun election. Are you not scared?

 The party will not lose based on the information we have. Yes. They have been saying that they have federal might. But I wish to remind them that President Bola Tinubu is the father of all. And he cannot rupture the peace of the South-West because of Osun election because it will make it difficult for his own election next year as August to January 2027 is just five months apart. If peace in the South-West is ruptured, I think the president should forget his reelection. We are not boasting. In 2014, the PDP government then wanted to rig Osun election, they met their waterloo here. And if you look at the history of the Yoruba, people in Osun here have always been the champion to repel undue attacks on the Yoruba people. Don’t forget Ogun Jalumi. So, I believe that nobody will come and rig Osun election. After all, we are quoting one of the aspirants that was disqualified, he told them in Abuja that he preferred Adeleke. It was Oyetola that said no. So we want President Tinubu to remain unbiased as an umpire and father to Ambo and Adeleke so that we can have our peace, then whoever emerges, as governor, after August 15, is decided by the people of Osun will be our governor. The two of them are patriotic sons of the state. 

 With what you just said, can we say that Osun APC is not united ahead of 2026? 

 No, sir. They are, and they are not. There are about two or three indices that have disunited APC in Osun.

 One of them is the disqualification of seven aspirants without any reason. The second is the just concluded legislature primaries where strangers, newcomers were imposed on the generality of Osun people in APC to become candidates. Four candidates were imposed. Honorable Wole Oke has spent 24 years in the House of Representatives. He has been given the ticket to go for the 7th time. Senator Fadahunsi has spent two tenures in the Senate, from Ijesha North. Ijesha North has spent 12 years in the Senate to the detriment of other zones. Ife federal constituency has spent 16 years in the Senate, Ijesha South has never been to the Senate. They can’t keep quiet, people cannot keep quiet. And you are turning back again now to make somebody who has not spent up to four months in the party to be the Director General of the Campaign Organization, someone who does not know most of the elders of the party. So, people are disenchanted. People are dissatisfied. People are grumbling. Some who cannot stomach this type of embarrassment might have the choice to leave the party and go to another party.

 There are insinuations that the group of Otunba Iyiola Omisore is planning to join Accord Party ahead of the election. Is this true?

 It won’t happen. Officially, Omisore group will not join another party. We are in APC officially. Because when you start to negotiate as a group with another party, you are talking about issues that affect Omisore. But if you are dissatisfied as a member of the group, you can choose to leave. So we had a meeting last week. And people chose to stay. Individuals who wanted to leave walked out of the meeting. You can’t force them to stay. So if anybody is talking in town that Omisore group is joining Adeleke, that is not true. That’s not correct. 

 Let me put it to you straight that, going by this analysis, back and forth, Osun APC is a disunited opposition party. 

 Yes. Disunited.

 Believing that a disunited party can successfully take over from an incumbent that is coordinated is incongruous, so I am putting it to you that your party cannot win the forthcoming governorship election in Osun. What is your take? 

 I’m waiting for a change of that narration that you just made. Let me tell you, in the course of the struggle for the tickets of our party, a lot of aspersions were cast on so many people by members of Ambo group in such a way that you’ll think twice after the entire show to join them and campaign for them. I, for once, was put on a committee. But I was not enthusiastic because they have cast a lot of aspersions on me. I can’t work with them. So many things were said to have been said by the former governor, Gboyega Oyetola, about people. Go to them, you can’t even enter the Campaign Office. As a former governor, you gave your Campaign Office to one of the aspirants, NOT after the candidate has emerged. So you have already shown bias right from the word go. So people just think if you think you can do it alone, go ahead and do it. So, I don’t see myself entering the Campaign Office of Bola Oyebanji because the beginning was controversial. Then you have a former governor who is avoiding Osun State. For the past three and a half years, Alh Gboyega Oyetola has not visited any community in Osun, that is, since he left office.

He stays in his house in Iragbiji. Even the popular Ogoluwa, Olaiya, Igbona, Ikirun, he has not stepped his foot on those places in the past eight months. You want somebody who has recoiled into his shell to give governor to the people of Osun State?

 But there was a time we learned that there were moves to reconcile with Otunba Iyiola Omisore ahead of this coming election. What actually happened?

 Let me tell you the process of reconciliation. There was a crisis after you had taken the head. Then you sit down to let us take the neck and the other part of the body. But you have taken the head, you are taking the neck, you are taking the heart. When you want to reconcile, you negotiate. Okay, you have taken the head, give me the neck. It is then that you can talk of integration after negotiation. People who are talking about reconciliation are getting it wrong. You can’t reconcile with people who have been obviously cheated, you have to negotiate. You have to integrate. All those efforts were wasteful efforts. 

 How do you assess President Tinubu?) 

 Yes, I see him as a patron, an outstanding leader whose name, unfortunately, is being dropped in Osun, that he will wage war against the people of our state during the election. I pray that does not happen.

 What’s the relationship between Otunba Iyiola Omisore and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?

 President Tinubu and Otunba Iyiola Omisore are leaders and founders of the party. Let me tell you, in 1998, if Omisore had not stepped down for Baba Akande, President Bola Tinubu and him would have been fellow governors. So I’m too small to get into their midst and find out what is going on. But I know that they are in each other’s good books.

 But in the recent time, I’ve not seen any fraternity between the two of them?

 You might not see the fraternity because it will take place in Aso Villa where you are not present. So we want to assume there’s no issue between the two of them.

 But it’s obvious that Otunba is not happy with APC, take it or leave it. 

 No, I told you, he’s happy with the APC. In fact, during Sallah celebrations, he gave out about 400 bags of rice to APC members.

 But he’s not happy with the group of Oyebamiji and Alh Gboyega Oyetola?

 He has not told me that, but the issue has been the process that led to who emerged as the governorship candidate.

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