Nigerian Army Begins Training at Old Oyo Park After School Kidnapping

The Nigerian Army has taken control of parts of the Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State for military training. This comes months after more than 46 pupils and teachers were kidnapped from schools in Oriire Local Government Area.

The army aims to stop kidnappers and other criminals from using the large forest. The military has identified this area as one of the spots targeted during their efforts to rescue the victims.

Punch reported that the army's General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, spoke about this on Wednesday. He received members of the Correspondents' Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Oyo State Council, at the division’s headquarters in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

Mr Mahmuda said the Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shuaibu, ordered the division to use the park as a training site after the rescue of the Oriire abduction victims. He mentioned that having the military in the park would make it harder for criminals to use the forest as a hideout.

"On the order of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shuaibu, the 2 Division has taken over the entire stretch of the Old Oyo National Park as a training site to prevent the repeat of the Oriire kidnap saga," Mr Mahmuda said.

This marks a change from the Army’s previous deployment around the park to a more permanent military presence in the area. In September, Mr Mahmuda visited troop locations near the Old Oyo National Park. He urged soldiers to stay alert and maintain an aggressive stance against security threats.

The visit included stops at the Igbeti, Igboho, Sepeteri road, the headquarters of the 169 Motorcycle Battalion at Ikoyi-Ile, and the Abaja Response Area in Oriire. The army’s decision follows the kidnapping of pupils and teachers from three schools in Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area on 15 May.

The schools affected are Community High School, Community Grammar School in Ahoro-Esinle, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School. The kidnapped victims were held for 56 days before security forces rescued them on 10 July.

The Army said the rescue followed an intelligence-led operation aimed at disrupting the kidnappers’ network and hideouts, including areas around the Old Oyo National Park. Mr Mahmuda added that changing the park into a military training ground would help keep troops active in an area that was once vulnerable to crime.

He also called for better cooperation between the military and the media. This is especially important for verifying information about security operations.

"I will appeal to you to avoid publishing information without first confirming its exact and true nature with the military," he said. "Sometimes, when unverified information is released, it can cause more harm than the information it intended to address."

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, received the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the abduction in late September. The report was based on accounts from 72 witnesses, including victims and experts.

Mr Makinde stated that the state will review the report and its recommendations to find any failures and take steps to prevent such incidents from happening again.