Defence HQ Identify Terrorist Group Behind Oyo School Kidnap

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has stated that the recent abduction incident in Oyo State was carried out by terrorists displaced from other parts of the country due to intensified military operations.

Reacting to reports surrounding comments allegedly made by the DHQ on the activities of terrorists and criminal elements in the South-West, the military described some media publications as “mischievous and misleading.”

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, the DHQ clarified that the attackers responsible for the Oyo abduction were members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) terrorist group who had been forced out of their former strongholds by ongoing military offensives nationwide.

According to the statement, “The recent kidnap incident in Oyo State was clearly perpetrated by terrorists of the JAS group that have been dislodged from other parts of the country due to high-intensity operations being conducted all over.”

The military authorities also dismissed reports claiming that the DHQ referred to terrorists operating in the South-West as ordinary criminals, insisting that such interpretations were false and misleading.

“It is inaccurate and misleading to suggest that the Defence Headquarters, at any point, referred to vicious and violent terrorists as criminals,” Onoja said.

The DHQ explained that its earlier comments on the security situation in the South-West were intended to provide proper intelligence-based clarification and prevent misinformation and unnecessary panic among residents.

The statement further reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to defending democratic institutions and supporting constitutional governance across the country.

“At no time did the Defence Headquarters undermine the authority of any democratically elected leader or seek to diminish the gravity of the heinous crime committed against innocent citizens by terrorist elements,” the statement added.

The military also disclosed that troops remain actively deployed in affected communities in collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders to dismantle criminal and terrorist networks threatening national peace and stability.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain resolute in dismantling all criminal and terrorist networks threatening the peace, stability and unity of the nation,” the DHQ stated.

The clarification follows recent attacks in communities within Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where armed terrorists abducted pupils, teachers, and residents from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle.

The incident reportedly claimed several lives, while one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later confirmed dead after a disturbing video linked to the attack surfaced online.