Oyo slams curfew on 10 LGAs around National Park

The Oyo State Government has announced the imposition of a curfew in 10 local government areas, effective Wednesday.

The curfew, which is to last from 4 pm to 8 am, affects local government areas surrounding the Old Oyo National Park, where the victims of the May 15 attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of the state are said to be held hostage.

A total of 46 people, comprising 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers, are reported to have been abducted in the attack.

The State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, in a statement on Tuesday, listed the affected LGAs as Oriire (headquarters: Ikoyi-Ile), Orelope (headquarters: Igboho), Irepo (headquarters: Kisi), Saki West (headquarters: Saki), Saki East (headquarters: Ago-Amodu), Atisbo (headquarters: Tede/Ago-Are), and Itesiwaju (headquarters: Otu).

Others are Iseyin (headquarters: Iseyin), Olorunsogo (headquarters: Igbeti), and Atiba (headquarters: Offa-Meta, Oyo).

The statement indicated that the curfew would be in force for 48 hours starting Wednesday, “in the first instance.”

“The curfew is part of the state’s ongoing efforts to tackle kidnapping and other security challenges in communities located around the Old Oyo National Park,” the statement added.

The state urged residents of the affected local government areas to comply fully with the directive, as security agencies intensify operations to restore peace and ensure the safety of lives and property across the affected communities.

The PidomNigeria reports that scores of teachers and students of Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School; and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area of the state were abducted during the attack.

A teacher, Joel Adesiyan, was killed on the day of the attack, while one of the hostages, a Mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded in captivity, as shown in a viral video released by the captors.

As part of measures to rescue the hostages, the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, announced the deployment of special forces, drones, and spy aircraft to Oyo State, while President Bola Tinubu authorised the deployment of 1,000 forest guards to assist state security and hunters.

Recent reports on efforts indicate that military troops have manned all exit routes into the Old Oyo National Park, which spans many local government areas.