Suspected terrorists who abducted schoolchildren and teachers from three schools in Esinele, Yamota and Alawusa towns in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have opened communication channels with the state government.
Two highly credible sources told our correspondents that the hoodlums refused to speak directly with the families of the victims.
“They said they only want to talk to the governor and nobody else. That was the condition they gave for negotiation. So, nobody knows the details and what they are demanding,” a source said.
It cannot, however, be confirmed if the negotiation is being done by the governor himself or a representative of the state.
But a top source said the communication channel was a relief.
“It is not that security agencies don’t know what to do. But the risks are too high. The relief is that at least now, they are talking,” the source said.
It was gathered that the demands of the terrorists were being kept discreet in order not to jeopardise the lives of the victims.
The Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, Abayomi Fagbenro, declined to comment on the matter.
“I can’t give any information at the moment,” he said in a terse message.
Fear over fate of toddlers
Teachers and pupils, including toddlers aged two and three, were reportedly abducted in three schools last Friday.
The victims have now spent eight days in captivity.
Families and community leaders say their fears have increased as the rainy season sets in, which makes movement through forests and rough terrains increasingly difficult and dangerous for the captives.
Sources within affected communities said that the victims were being moved in thick forests and across states to evade security pressure.
They noted that survival for the children in such harsh conditions had become a major source of concern for parents already traumatised by the attack.
A community leader, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said residents were in the dark about the whereabouts of the abductees.
“We are worried about their safety. We don’t know how they are faring. Children of two-year-old are among the abductees,” the source said.
Teachers, pupils abandon classrooms
It was learnt that pupils in public and private primary and secondary schools in Ogbomoso and neighbouring communities like Ikose, Ikoyi, Tewure and Dananu had abandoned classrooms following the incident.
Findings revealed that school attendance had also dropped drastically across communities as many parents had refused to send their children to school over security concerns.
Also, despite assurances from the Oyo State Government, teachers and education workers said fear remained widespread among pupils, parents and school personnel.
A teacher at Ikose Primary School, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that attendance had dropped drastically.
She said, “All the schools, both private and public, in Ogbomoso have been empty since Monday. Pupils stopped attending school after the Esinele attacks. The matter became worse on Tuesday when some students at Areago Grammar School saw some men in the bush around them hunting squirrels.
“The students, because of the Esinele incident, raised the alarm that there were terrorists on the school premises. That led to pandemonium, and everybody started running helter-skelter. One of the pupils was knocked down by a vehicle around the Owode area of Ogbomoso, and he died instantly. His mother also died from shock after hearing about the death of her son. Ogbomoso was turned upside down on Tuesday.”
She added, “On Wednesday, only private schools had a few pupils, far below normal attendance. But pupils in public schools did not go at all. All the teachers in my school and other areas in Ogbomoso, Esinele, Yamota, Ikose, Ikoyi, Tewure and others had to return home around 12pm.
“The situation became worse on Thursday; the number of teachers and pupils also dropped across the area. We didn’t see any students, while many teachers also did not show up. We left school before 11am.”
The source disclosed that all teachers agreed not to go to school on Friday in honour of a former Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, who was killed by the terrorists during the incident.
Adesiyan was buried on Friday.
The PUNCH