A farmer, Micheal Ojo, whose four children, daughter-in-law and grandchild were kidnapped during the recent school attacks in Oyo State, has recounted the terrifying moment armed terrorists invaded Esiele and Yawota communities, shooting sporadically and forcing pupils and teachers into a forest reserve.
Speaking to SaharaReporters, Ojo described how the attackers stormed the schools and threw the communities into chaos as frightened children and teachers struggled to escape.
According to him, the attack on the secondary school in Esiele turned deadly immediately the gunmen arrived.
“The principal of the community secondary school is a woman. When the kidnappers entered the school, they killed one primary school teacher while people were running everywhere in panic,” Ojo said.
He explained that after taking control of the school, the gunmen gathered the children and forced the female principal to drive them into the forest in her Toyota Corolla car.
“After gathering the children, they forced the principal to drive her Corolla car while they packed the children inside the vehicle. That was how they moved the children into the forest reserve,” he said.
He added that the forest area was vast and isolated.
“After that community, there is no settlement again until deep inside the reserve. That is how massive the forest is,” he said.
Ojo also revealed that some of the attackers who invaded Yawota community disguised themselves in military uniforms to deceive residents before launching the assault.
“For Yawota community, the kidnappers were about eight in number. Some wore army uniforms while two others wore jalabiya,” he said.
“The whole community was quiet because most residents had already gone to their farms. Suddenly, we started hearing loud gunshots from inside the primary school.”
He recalled how a local tailor became one of the first victims during the attack.
“One commercial motorcyclist brought a tailor to the school because he usually sews clothes for the pupils,” Ojo narrated.
“The motorcyclist parked his bike and stepped down to greet some friends in front of the school. The tailor even warned him not to go far because he would finish quickly.
“But as he attempted to run after the shooting started, the gunmen shot him dead. His head was shattered by the gunshots.”
The grieving grandfather said some older pupils managed to escape by jumping through windows, while others were captured and marched into the bush at gunpoint.
“When the kidnappers selected the children they wanted to take, some of the older children jumped through the windows and escaped. But not all of them succeeded because some were caught while trying to escape,” he said.
“As they marched the children away alongside my daughter-in-law, the kidnappers kept shouting at them to run while firing gunshots into the air. They followed the children closely from behind.”
Ojo said the heavy gunfire kept residents trapped inside their homes throughout the attack.
“Even those of us inside our houses that morning could not come out because of the shooting,” he said.
“The kidnappers took the children through a bush path connecting back to Esiele community.”
He further disclosed that the attackers stole motorcycles belonging to villagers while retreating into the forest.
“Any motorcycle they found on the road, they took it away. They even stole the vulcaniser’s motorcycle parked directly opposite my house,” he added.
