Oyo schools remain shut in parts of Oriire despite the rescue of abducted pupils, as parents demand stronger security before reopening

A week after security agencies rescued more than 40 schoolchildren and their teachers from captivity, Oyo Schools Remain Shut in several communities across Oriire Local Government Area, where fear and uncertainty continue to outweigh the relief brought by the successful operation.

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While classrooms have reopened in communities such as Ahoro-Dada and Ikoyi-Ile, schools in Pamo, Yawota and Ahoro-Esienle remain deserted, with parents refusing to allow their children back until additional security measures are put in place.

The slow return to normalcy comes as eight more rescued pupils and one teacher were discharged on Thursday from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LTH), Ogbomoso, after doctors certified them medically fit.

Their discharge leaves only one pupil, who was diagnosed with a congenital heart disease, receiving treatment at the hospital.

The children and their teachers were among more than 40 victims abducted on May 15, 2026, during attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government.

They were rescued unharmed on July 10 in a coordinated operation involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, local vigilantes and hunters.

Although the rescue has been widely welcomed, the emotional scars left by the ordeal continue to shape decisions in affected communities.

The Elerepamo of Pamo, Oba Ayobami Ogunmakinde, said parents remained traumatised and had resolved not to send their children back to school until government authorities strengthened security in the area.

“Since the incident happened, no child has gone back to school. Parents are afraid,” the monarch said.

Appealing directly to the Federal Government, Oba Ogunmakinde urged the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun? Wait.

(The report attributes the appeal to Inspector-General Olatunji Disu.) He called for the existing police post in Pamo to be upgraded into a full divisional police headquarters to reassure residents and improve security coverage.

“We have begged several times; we are again appealing that the government come to our aid,” the traditional ruler said.

“There is the saying that youths are leaders of tomorrow, but if these children now lack basic education, how will they be leaders of tomorrow?”

He acknowledged the presence of two military bases in the wider Ogbomoso area but argued that a divisional police headquarters was needed to complement existing security deployments.

The anxiety is shared by many parents whose children were not among the kidnap victims.

One resident, identified simply as Alhaja Arowolo, said she had decided to keep her children at home despite their not being directly affected by the abduction.

“Yes, my children are still at home like other children. Though my children were not part of the kidnap victims, seeing them every day gives me joy,” she said.

Teachers have also expressed lingering concerns over their safety.

A teacher under the State Universal Basic Education Board, who requested anonymity, said she was reluctant to return to the school where she previously taught because of the insecurity.

“Actually, I’ve decided not to resume in that school again. I only summoned the courage, and it took the grace of God to follow the instructions of the state NUT when they directed us to go back to the classroom,” the teacher said.

She recalled a frightening moment on the day schools were expected to resume, when panic spread after a motorcyclist shouted that a child could not be found on a nearby farm.

“That alone created panic at that particular time. Our security operatives are honestly trying, but they still need to do more,” she added.

At the teaching hospital in Ogbomoso, the recovery of the rescued victims has continued steadily.

A hospital source said the latest discharge followed careful medical assessments to ensure that the children and teachers were fit to return home.

“The discharge has been gradual based on the medical certification of fitness,” the source said.

“As of this morning, eight pupils and one teacher were being treated at the hospital. However, they have all been discharged, except the pupil with congenital heart disease.”

The development follows an earlier update by the Chief Medical Director of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Professor Olawale Olakulehin, who disclosed on Wednesday that 35 of the 44 rescued victims had already been discharged, with only a handful remaining under observation.

The prolonged closure of schools in parts of Oriire highlights the challenge of rebuilding confidence after attacks on educational institutions. Following the mass abduction in May, the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Oyo State embarked on a strike, demanding stronger protection for schools and education workers.

Although the union suspended the industrial action on July 1 after reviewing security measures introduced by the state government, attendance has remained uneven in the communities most directly affected.

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For many families in Pamo and neighbouring villages, the successful rescue has brought relief but not reassurance. Until security is visibly strengthened, parents and teachers say the return to normal classroom life will remain a difficult step.