Boko haram blamed for school abductions in southern Nigeria

Military authorities in Nigeria have confirmed that Boko Haram-linked fighters carried out the recent kidnapping of dozens of students and teachers in Oyo State, southern Nigeria.

In a statement, a senior military spokesman revealed that the attackers belonged to the Jama’at Ahl al-Sunnah li-l-Da’awah wa al-Jihad (JAS), widely recognized as Boko Haram. He explained that the militants were forced to retreat from intensified military operations in the north before shifting their focus to the southern region.

The brazen assaults took place last Friday in the towns of Yawota and Esiele, where heavily armed men stormed multiple educational institutions. Reports on the exact number of victims remain inconsistent: the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) estimates 39 children and seven teachers were abducted, while Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde reports 25 students and seven educators missing.

Security forces are actively searching for the victims, who range in age from 2 to 16 years, along with their teachers. This unprecedented wave of violence in Oyo State, home to Ibadan—Nigeria’s major educational hub—has raised serious concerns among local communities.

While school kidnappings have become alarmingly common in northern Nigeria, such incidents are rare in the south, making this attack particularly unsettling. Military analysts suggest that the recent surge in airstrikes and ground operations against jihadist groups in the northeast has pushed some insurgents toward southern territories.

In the past few weeks, joint aerial strikes in Boko Haram’s historical stronghold in the northeast reportedly resulted in the deaths of 175 militants, according to military sources. This escalation in counterinsurgency efforts follows a troubling rise in armed attacks targeting both civilians and security personnel across the region.

Security data indicates that 306 Nigerian soldiers lost their lives in the first quarter of the year alone, highlighting the growing threat posed by insurgent groups operating in the country’s northern and central zones.