Nigeria’s military authorities have linked the recent mass abduction in Oyo State to terrorists displaced from northern strongholds by ongoing military operations across the country.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said the attackers responsible for the kidnapping in Oriire Local Government Area were members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), a faction associated with Boko Haram insurgency. According to the military, the group relocated after being forced out of former hideouts by sustained offensives from troops.
The clarification came amid controversy over reports alleging that the military described terrorists operating in the South-West as ordinary criminals. The DHQ dismissed the interpretation as false and misleading.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, insisted that the military never downplayed the activities of violent extremist groups operating in the region.
“The recent incidence of kidnap 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,” Onoja stated.
He stressed that the Defence Headquarters had only sought to provide context based on intelligence assessments to prevent panic and misinformation among residents in the South-West.
“It is, therefore, inaccurate and misleading to suggest that the Defence Headquarters, at any point, referred to vicious and violent terrorists as criminals,” the statement added.
The military also reaffirmed its commitment to protecting democratic institutions and supporting civil authorities in tackling insecurity nationwide. Onoja said troops remained actively deployed in affected communities alongside other security agencies and local stakeholders to dismantle terrorist cells and criminal networks.
The clarification follows the deadly attack on communities in Oriire LGA of Oyo State, where armed men stormed Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, abducting teachers, students and residents. The attack sparked outrage after reports emerged that one of the kidnapped teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed.
Security concerns have continued to grow in parts of the South-West as residents fear the spread of insurgent activities beyond Nigeria’s traditional conflict zones. The military, however, says operations against terrorist groups remain ongoing across the country.
