​Oyo Lifts Security Curfew in 10 LGAs as Troops Corner School Kidnappers

​IBADAN — The Oyo State Government on Saturday officially lifted the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on 10 local government areas bordering the Old Oyo National Park, assuring residents that aggressive joint security operations to rescue the abducted schoolchildren and teachers are hitting a critical phase.

​The Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, announced the directive in a statement on Saturday evening. He instructed residents of the affected local government areas to resume their normal daily activities while emphasizing that the government, alongside a coalition of security agencies, is unyielding in its mission to safely recover the hostages.

​“The government is closely monitoring the security situation, and efforts are ongoing to bring the kidnapping episode to an end,” Oyelade stated. He also conveyed the state’s deep appreciation to the local communities for their patience, cooperation, and resilience during the security lockdown.

​Inside the Siege at Old Oyo National Park

​The state government had originally declared a strict 16-hour daily curfew (running from 4:00 PM to 8:00 AM) on June 24, 2026, across the 10 local government areas surrounding the expansive, 2,500-square-kilometer Old Oyo National Park forest reserve. The local government areas affected include Oriire, Orelope, Irepo, Saki West, Saki East, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iseyin, Olorunsogo, and Atiba.

ADVERTISEMENT

​The restrictions, which were later extended by an additional 24 hours on Thursday, were implemented to give a clear tactical field to a massive joint task force comprising the Military, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the regional Amotekun Corps.

​The intensive security sweep follows the tragic May 15, 2026, coordinated terrorist raid on three schools in the Yawota, Alawusa, and Ahoro-Esienle communities within the Oriire Local Government Area. Heavily armed terrorists stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School (Yawota), Community High School (Ahoro-Esienle), and L.A. Primary School, forcefully marching 39 pupils and 7 teachers into the dense forest reserve.

​Terrorists Cornered as Demands Shift

​According to intelligence and military sources close to the operation, the tactical freeze on movement across the 10 local government areas successfully allowed security forces to seal off critical escape routes. The joint forces have effectively surrounded the primary hideout where the 46 victims are being held.

​Cornered under a suffocating tactical siege and facing imminent capture, the criminal network—believed to be affiliated with senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist faction—recently escalated the crisis by killing one of the abducted teachers in a desperate, failed bid to force security forces to stand down.

​However, the pressure from the military blockade has forced a dramatic shift in the terrorists’ stance. The kidnappers have reportedly dropped their initial ideological and high-stakes demands—which included the release of detained Ansaru commanders Mahmud Usman (Abu Bara’a) and Abubakar Abba (Isah Adam), alongside the provision of Hilux operational vehicles and the local implementation of Sharia-related mandates. Faced with dwindling supplies and restricted movement, the gang has abandoned these terms, narrowing their focus solely to ransom negotiations.

​The Oyo State Police Command, via its Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, has continued to debunk various social media rumors regarding the logistical relocation or further casualties among the children, maintaining that the remaining pupils are alive and that tactical operations remain highly calculated to ensure a zero-casualty rescue.

​While the lifting of the curfew brings economic relief to the agrarian communities in northern Oyo, state authorities have warned that heavy military presence, aerial surveillance, and localized intelligence operations will continue unabated until every single captive is returned home safely.