Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has visited Oyo State following the deadly terrorist attack and abduction incident that occurred in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026, assuring residents that security agencies are intensifying efforts to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
During the visit over the weekend, the IGP expressed deep concern over the attack, which claimed lives and led to the abduction of several pupils and teachers.
He described the incident as cruel, unacceptable and a direct assault on the safety of communities and schools.
Disu also extended condolences to the families of those killed in the attack, promising that the Nigeria Police Force would not relent until normalcy is restored in the affected communities.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains fully committed to the protection of schools, communities and all citizens across the country,” the IGP stated.
He met with the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, and other security stakeholders, where he received operational briefings on rescue efforts, tactical deployments and ongoing security operations across the affected areas.
The police chief assured parents and residents that coordinated search-and-rescue operations had been intensified in collaboration with other security agencies.
According to him, intelligence gathering and tactical operations are ongoing to secure the safe release of all abducted victims.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, said operatives had launched aggressive search operations across forests and neighbouring communities believed to be possible hideouts of the attackers.
The Commandant of the Amotekun Corps, retired Col. Olayanju Olayinka, disclosed that local hunters, vigilantes and other security operatives had joined the mission.
“Our personnel are already combing the forests and suspected hideouts. We are working with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the safe rescue of the victims,” he said.
Also speaking, the Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the command had deployed tactical and intelligence teams immediately after the attack.
He stated that the Commissioner of Police had ordered an extensive manhunt for those behind the incident.
“The police command has mobilised all necessary resources to rescue the abducted pupils and arrest the criminals responsible for the attack,” Ayanlade said.
On its part, the Oyo State Government said it was working closely with security agencies to ensure the safe return of the abducted children.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, described the incident as deeply disturbing and assured residents that every possible step was being taken to rescue the victims.
Meanwhile, the Senate has condemned the abduction of 87 students and teachers in Borno and Oyo states within 24 hours.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, described the wave of school abductions as a tragic national concern that threatens Nigeria’s educational system and national development.
He called for urgent and coordinated measures to secure schools across the country and address the growing out-of-school children crisis.
“We cannot and must not allow it to continue. At the National Assembly, we will rise against this trend and put an end to it through legislation,” Bamidele stated.
He added that the National Assembly would prioritise outstanding security-related legislative reforms once plenary resumes on June 2.
