Governor Seyi Makinde has declared a 16-hour curfew in 10 local government areas surrounding the Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State. The curfew, which runs from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., took effect on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, and will last for 48 hours in the first instance. The affected areas are Oriire, Orelope, Irepo, Saki West, Saki East, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iseyin, Olorunsogo, and Atiba. The decision follows the abduction of 39 students and seven teachers from communities in Oriire Local Government Area last month. Authorities believe the Old Oyo National Park is being used as a hideout by the bandits holding the victims. The curfew was announced in a statement issued by the Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Professor Musibau Babatunde, and made available by the Governor's Chief Press Secretary, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, on Tuesday evening. The statement did not specify whether security operations would be intensified during the curfew period. Residents in the affected areas have been directed to comply with the order as the government works to secure the release of the captives. No official update has been given on negotiations or rescue efforts. The government has not indicated whether the curfew will be extended beyond the initial 48 hours.
Declaring a curfew only after 46 people, including students and teachers, have already been taken suggests a reactive rather than preventive security approach. The fact that the abductions occurred in Oriire, one of the named curfew zones, raises questions about prior intelligence and security deployment. If the park has long been a known hideout, the timing of the curfew implies earlier intervention was overlooked. This response appears more symbolic than strategic given the delay.
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