IBADAN — The Oyo State Police Command has strongly denied reports claiming that one of the schoolchildren abducted during a terrorist attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area died in captivity, describing the publication as false and potentially damaging to ongoing rescue efforts.
The rebuttal comes as security agencies continue efforts to secure the release of pupils and teachers kidnapped during the May 15 attacks, while authorities grapple with increasingly complex demands reportedly being made by the abductors.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, accused the authors of the report of deliberately spreading misinformation designed to inflame public anxiety and undermine ongoing operations.
“The report is false, misleading, mischievous and without any factual basis whatsoever,” the command said.
According to the police, neither the command nor any security agency involved in the rescue operation has confirmed the death of any abducted pupil.
The command warned that the circulation of unverified information at a critical stage of the crisis could create unnecessary panic, traumatise affected families and complicate efforts to secure the victims’ release.
“It is particularly disturbing that the authors of the report deliberately employed emotional narratives, speculative claims and unverified accounts in a calculated attempt to manipulate public opinion and generate anxiety among residents,” the statement added.
The police further cautioned bloggers, social media influencers and media organisations against amplifying unverified security-related information, stressing that misinformation could inadvertently serve the interests of criminal groups.
The denial comes against the backdrop of a hostage crisis that has already shocked the state and drawn national attention.
Armed attackers stormed schools in Ahoro-Esinele, Yawota and Alawusa communities in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, abducting pupils and teachers in coordinated attacks that authorities have linked to terrorist elements.
Days later, the kidnappers released a video showing one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oladokun, a mathematics teacher at Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, being beheaded.
Governor Seyi Makinde subsequently confirmed the killing, describing it as a painful loss and a grim reminder of the growing security threat facing communities in the state.
As security agencies continue rescue efforts, new details have emerged about the demands reportedly being made by the abductors.
According to reports, the group is demanding the release of two detained Ansaru commanders, the payment of a ₦1 billion ransom, two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia-related laws before the captives can be freed.
The reported demands, particularly the call for the release of detained terrorist leaders, have elevated the crisis beyond a conventional kidnapping case and into a broader national security challenge.
The two men named by the abductors are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri.
Both men are senior figures in Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan (Ansaru), a breakaway faction of Boko Haram linked to several terrorist operations across Nigeria.
The pair were arrested in 2025 and are currently facing terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Usman had previously been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for illegal mining after admitting that proceeds from the activity were used to procure weapons for terrorist operations and kidnapping networks. He remains in custody while facing additional terrorism charges.
Security analysts have warned that any attempt to secure the release of the commanders could carry significant consequences, potentially strengthen terrorist networks and undermine ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
For now, authorities are urging the public to focus on verified information while rescue operations continue behind the scenes.
“The Oyo State Police Command remains steadfast in its commitment to public safety and security,” the statement said.
But as negotiations, intelligence operations and rescue efforts continue, the crisis highlights a growing challenge for security agencies: combating not only the terrorists holding the victims, but also the misinformation that can quickly flourish in the absence of verified updates.
