A distraught farmer, Micheal Ojo, has narrated how heavily armed terrorists, some disguised in military uniforms, shot residents and forced dozens of pupils into a massive forest reserve during the recent coordinated school attacks in Oyo State.
A distraught farmer, Micheal Ojo, whose four children, daughter-in-law, and grandchild were abducted during the recent attacks on schools in Oyo State, has narrated how heavily armed terrorists invaded two rural communities, shot residents, and forced dozens of pupils deep into a forest reserve. Speaking with SaharaReporters, Ojo gave a chilling account of how the attackers simultaneously stormed schools in Esiele and Yawota communities, opening fire indiscriminately while terrified pupils and teachers scrambled for safety. According to him, the attack on the secondary school in Esiele turned deadly immediately upon the gunmen’s arrival, ruthlessly disrupting the school day. Ojo stated: “The principal of the community secondary school is a woman. When the kidnappers entered the school, they killed one primary school teacher while people were running everywhere in panic.”
He further explained that after overpowering the school, the gunmen assembled the children and forced the female principal to drive them into the forest using her personal vehicle to accelerate their retreat. Describing the abduction, Ojo said: “After gathering the children, they forced the principal to drive her Corolla car while they packed the children inside the vehicle. That was how they moved the children into the forest reserve. After that community, there is no settlement again until deep inside the reserve. That is how massive the forest is.” Ojo also revealed that the attackers who invaded the nearby Yawota community cleverly disguised themselves in military uniforms and traditional attire to deceive the locals before launching the bloody assault. He noted: “For Yawota community, the kidnappers were about eight in number. Some wore army uniforms while two others wore jalabiya. The whole community was quiet because most residents had already gone to their farms. Suddenly, we started hearing loud gunshots from inside the primary school.”
The assault claimed more casualties as it unfolded, with an innocent visitor among those killed at the scene. Ojo recounted how a local tailor became one of the earliest victims of the bloody attack, stating: “One commercial motorcyclist brought a tailor to the school because he usually sews clothes for the pupils. The motorcyclist parked his bike and stepped down to greet some friends in front of the school. The tailor even warned him not to go far because he would finish quickly. But as he attempted to run after the shooting started, the gunmen shot him dead. His head was shattered by the gunshots.” The grieving grandfather noted that while some older pupils managed to escape by jumping through windows, several others were captured as the gunmen selected their victims and drove them into the bush at gunpoint, adding: “When the kidnappers selected the children they wanted to take, some of the older children jumped through the windows and escaped. But not all of them succeeded because some were caught while trying to escape. As they marched the children away alongside my daughter-in-law, the kidnappers kept shouting at them to run while firing gunshots into the air. They followed the children closely from behind.”
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