Residents of Yawota community in Oyo State initially mistook armed men for security personnel before gunshots erupted during a coordinated attack on three schools on May 15. Aduke Balogun, a hired labourer, has appealed to authorities to rescue her ward who remains among the abducted victims.
Survivor Recounts Ordeal
During a solidarity visit organised by the Oriire Youth Council to affected families, Balogun emotionally described the sequence of events. She explained that she had relocated to the community for work and had taken responsibility for raising Kehinde Kaosarat, as the child's biological parents were absent.
“I am the father of the child and the mother of the child. Her parents are not here. Me too, I have no one. I came here as a hired worker,” she said.
Mistaken for Soldiers
Balogun recalled that on the morning of the attack, residents saw individuals dressed like soldiers entering the area. “We were saying, which visitors have entered Yawota,” she recounted. Moments later, panic broke out as gunshots rang through the community. “Before we knew it, we started hearing gunshots. Everybody started running around. Nobody was around,” she added.
Desperate Plea for Help
In the confusion, Balogun briefly saw her ward before losing contact. “I saw my daughter, Kaosarat. Her name is Kehinde Kaosarat,” she said. She appealed to the government to intensify rescue efforts. “Please help me. We are visitors. We are begging the government. We know they are working. But they should help free our children,” she pleaded.
Another resident, Madam Agnes, also recounted the chaos. “Nobody stayed. We all started running. Nobody stopped to wait for the children. We were all running inside the bush,” she said.
Government Response
The Elesinele of Esinele, Tajudeen Abioye, confirmed that pupils, teachers and school officials were among those abducted during the attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele; and L.A. Primary School on May 15. Oyo State authorities have dismissed online claims that the abducted victims had regained freedom, insisting that rescue operations are still ongoing.
Related Incident
In a separate attack, five operatives of the National Park Service stationed in Oloka, Orire Local Government Area were killed after gunmen stormed their post late Tuesday night. Some officers were shot, others burned to death, and the bandits fled with their weapons.
