A senior officer of the Nigerian Army has been killed during ongoing efforts to rescue schoolchildren and teachers abducted by gunmen in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde has confirmed.
The fallen officer, identified as a lieutenant, reportedly died in the line of duty while participating in operations to secure the freedom of victims kidnapped during coordinated attacks on schools in the Ahoro-Dada, Yawota and Esiele communities.
Makinde disclosed the sad development yesterday while addressing angry protesters who marched through Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, demanding urgent government intervention over the continued captivity of the victims.
The governor revealed that the officer was killed two days earlier, making it the first officially confirmed fatality among security personnel involved in the rescue mission.
“We have lost men, even soldiers, officers. I can confirm to you that a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army was killed two days ago,” Makinde told the protesters.
Although the governor did not disclose the exact circumstances surrounding the officer’s death, he said the tragedy highlighted the enormous risks being faced by security operatives battling to rescue the captives from their abductors.
The victims were kidnapped on May 15 when heavily armed gunmen attacked Community High School, Esiele, L.A. Primary School, Yawota, and another nearby school in Oriire Local Government Area.
The attackers reportedly herded the pupils and teachers into the vast Old Oyo National Park, one of Nigeria’s largest forest reserves, where they have remained in captivity.
The crisis took a more tragic turn after reports emerged that one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded by the kidnappers, sparking outrage across Oyo State and beyond.
Despite growing public pressure, Makinde assured residents that security agencies were intensifying efforts to secure the release of the remaining victims while taking steps to avoid additional casualties.
He stressed that the state government was determined not to allow the abduction to become a prolonged national tragedy similar to the infamous 2014 kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State.
“Oyo State is not Chibok, and it will not be Chibok,” the governor declared.
Makinde said security agencies were carefully balancing aggressive rescue efforts with the need to protect both the captives and personnel involved in the operation.
“We’re doing everything possible. We’ve lost a teacher already. If we can avoid losing more, we will avoid losing more,” he said.
In an emotional moment during his address, the governor vowed that no sacrifice would be too great in the effort to secure the release of the abducted victims.
“But if we get to the point that certain people have to be sacrificed, including myself, we will do it,” he said. “I’ve lived a good life. I’m almost 60. It doesn’t matter. My own father died at 76.”
The abduction has generated widespread condemnation, with teachers, parents, labour groups and civil society organisations staging protests and demanding stronger security measures around schools.
The Oyo State House of Assembly had earlier rejected calls for negotiations with the kidnappers and instead urged security agencies to intensify operations aimed at rescuing the victims and dismantling criminal networks operating within the Old Oyo National Park.
Lawmakers also called for the deployment of additional security personnel to vulnerable schools, enhanced surveillance systems and improved emergency response mechanisms to prevent future attacks.
As rescue efforts continue, residents remain anxious over the fate of the abducted children and teachers, while security agencies face mounting pressure to bring the crisis to a swift and successful conclusion.