Defence Minister General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd.) has disclosed that armed bandits holding kidnapped pupils and teachers from multiple Oyo schools threatened to execute the children if military forces attempted a rescue. The hostages were taken during coordinated attacks on May 15 on Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School in Esinle, all in Oriire Local Government Area. Dozens of children and staff remain in captivity, with the Federal Government launching negotiations and rescue efforts to secure their release.
According to the minister, the kidnappers are demanding the release of their commanders currently in military custody, using the abducted children as leverage. In a preview of an interview with News Central set for broadcast Friday, he stated the group issued a direct threat: if security forces advanced, they would kill all the hostages. The incident has drawn national attention, prompting President Bola Tinubu to dispatch a high-powered delegation, including senior security officials, to the affected communities.
General Musa criticized existing anti-kidnap laws as too lenient, saying they fail to deter criminality. "The laws are soft, and that's why people take advantage," he said. "There must be deterrence." The military continues efforts to locate the captives while balancing the risk of escalation. The Oyo school abductions rank among the most prominent kidnapping cases in Nigeria this year, with authorities avoiding military action that could trigger violence against the hostages.
General Musa admits the military is being held at bay by hostage-takers who know captured commanders are leverage. The state's inability to act freely reveals how kidnappers now dictate terms using state-held prisoners as bargaining chips. A rescue mission is stalled not by logistics but by the certainty of execution if force is used. This shifts the power balance from security forces to criminals holding children as human shields.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Full disclaimer →
