‘I Watched Them Take My Child Away’ — Oyo Mother Makes Emotional Plea After School Abduction

A grieving mother whose child was among the pupils abducted during a deadly raid on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has made a heartfelt appeal to the government, describing the traumatic moment she watched armed men seize her daughter and other children.

Speaking amid growing anxiety over the fate of the abductees, the woman recounted how she had prepared her child for school before gunmen stormed the community and unleashed panic with gunfire.

According to her, she was at home cooking when the attackers arrived, forcing her to seek cover for safety. From her hiding place, however, she witnessed the horrifying scene as the armed men gathered pupils and led them away.

“I bathed my child and sent her to school. I was in the kitchen cooking so she would have something to eat when she returned when I suddenly saw bandits entering our town and they started shooting,” she said.

“I hid myself and from where I was hiding, I saw them assembling my child together with other children.”

The distraught mother said the incident has left her devastated and living in uncertainty as she awaits news about her child, who remains among dozens of pupils and teachers still being held captive.

She revealed that she moved to Nigeria in search of a better life and now shoulders the responsibility of caring for her children alone following the death of her husband.

“My husband is late and I am the one taking care of my children through my business,” she said.

While acknowledging ongoing efforts by security agencies and government authorities, she appealed for urgent action to ensure the safe return of the victims.

“The government is trying, but they should please help us bring our child back alive,” she pleaded.

The emotional appeal comes weeks after armed men attacked schools in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, abducting 46 pupils and teachers in one of the most shocking school attacks recorded in the area.

Since the incident, families of the victims have continued to express anguish and frustration as they await the release of their loved ones.

Community leaders, relatives, and residents have repeatedly urged both the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government to intensify rescue operations and secure the freedom of those still in captivity.