A farmer, Michael Ojo, whose four children, daughter-in-law and grandchild were among those abducted during the recent attacks on schools in Oyo State, has recounted the terrifying moment armed terrorists stormed two rural communities, opened fire and forced dozens of pupils and teachers into a forest reserve.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, Ojo described how the attackers invaded schools in Esiele and Yawota communities, causing panic as frightened pupils and teachers ran for safety.
According to him, the attack on the secondary school in Esiele turned deadly almost immediately after 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,” he said.
Ojo explained that after taking control of the school, the attackers gathered the children and forced the female principal to drive them into the forest in her 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.
“After that community, there is no settlement again until deep inside the reserve. That is how massive the forest is.”
He further revealed that the attackers who invaded Yawota community disguised themselves in military uniforms 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.”
Ojo said 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,” he 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 several 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.”
According to Ojo, residents remained trapped inside their homes throughout the attack because of the intensity of the gunfire.
“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 added that the attackers also stole motorcycles belonging to villagers as they fled 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 said.
