Tension and fear gripped a community in Oyo State on Tuesday after panicked parents reportedly stormed a primary school and forcefully withdrew their children over rumours of a fresh bandit attack in nearby communities.
The incident occurred at Ijeru Baptist Basic School I and III following reports circulating across the area that armed bandits had allegedly invaded communities around the Ajawa axis.
Videos and photographs obtained by journalists captured chaotic scenes as frightened parents rushed into the school premises, forced open the gates and hurriedly evacuated their children amid confusion and panic.
Eyewitnesses said many parents ignored repeated appeals from teachers and school authorities who attempted to calm the situation and reassure them that there was no confirmed bandit attack around the school.
“The parents stormed the school, forced the gate open and started taking their children away by force,” a community source said.
According to the source, the panic was triggered by unverified reports claiming that armed men had attacked nearby communities.
“The information they heard was that bandits were around Ajawa, which was not true,” the source explained.
The source added that teachers immediately contacted security operatives within the district for clarification before addressing the parents.
“The teachers came out and said they had contacted the police command, and they were informed that the violence had to do with clashes between Fulani herders and farmers in the area, not a bandit invasion,” the source added.
Despite the clarification, many parents reportedly refused to take chances and hurriedly removed their children from classrooms, leading to disruption of academic activities.
The latest scare comes amid rising fear and insecurity across parts of Oyo State following recent attacks on schools and communities in the Ogbomoso axis.
Only days earlier, armed men invaded schools in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting pupils, teachers and the principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, Mrs. Rachael Alamu.
The situation worsened after one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was reportedly beheaded by the kidnappers in a gruesome video circulated online.
The viral footage showed the teacher tied up and forced to speak before being executed, sparking outrage and deepening fears among residents.
Many communities across the state now live in fear of possible attacks, with anxious parents increasingly questioning the ability of security agencies and the Federal Government to protect schools and innocent civilians from growing terrorist and bandit threats.
Residents said the continued attacks and kidnappings have created widespread panic, especially as disturbing videos of abducted victims pleading for help continue to emerge online.
