Panic gripped Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday after armed men attacked three schools, killing an assistant headmaster and abducting several pupils and teachers.
The affected schools were Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School.
Residents who spoke with Punch said the attackers stormed the communities around 9 am, shortly after pupils had gathered for morning assembly.
They were said to have arrived on motorcycles and shot sporadically as they moved between the schools and nearby areas.
“They came in large numbers on motorcycles and started shooting immediately. Everybody ran. They moved from one school to another within minutes,” a resident said.
Assistant Headmaster Killed
The Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, was killed during the attack. Witnesses said he was shot while trying to escape through a window.
An okada rider who unknowingly rode into the scene was also reportedly killed in the crossfire.
The gunmen abducted the principal of Community Grammar School, Mrs Rachael Alamu, alongside five teachers and an unspecified number of pupils.
A resident said, “The assistant head teacher was trying to escape through the window, but he was shot dead. The principal and five teachers were kidnapped. They also took several pupils.”