A hired worker in Yawota community, Oyo State, Aduke Balogun, has appealed to the government to secure the release of her ward, one of several schoolchildren still being held captive two weeks after terrorists attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
Balogun made the appeal during a solidarity and condolence visit by the Oriire Youth Council to affected families, traditional rulers and community leaders in Esinele and Yawota communities.
A video of the visit, posted on Tuesday on the Facebook page “Oriire ni tiwa,” went viral on Friday. The interviews were conducted in Yoruba and translated into English.
In the video, Balogun said she relocated to the community as a hired worker and had been solely responsible for caring for her ward, Kehinde Kaosarat, in the absence of the child’s biological parents.
“I am the father of the child and the mother of the child. Her parents are not here. I also have no one here. I came here as a hired worker,” she said.
Recounting the day of the attack, Balogun said the morning began normally before armed men stormed the area.
“We bathed our children in the morning and they went to school. After 9 a.m., we saw some people dressed like soldiers. We thought they were visitors,” she said.
She said panic erupted moments later when gunshots rang out.
“Before we knew it, we started hearing gunshots. Everybody started running around. Nobody stayed behind,” she said.
Balogun said she briefly saw her ward during the chaos before losing sight of her.
“I saw my daughter, Kaosarat. Her name is Kehinde Kaosarat,” she said.
Appealing to authorities, she said, “Please help me. We are strangers here. We are begging the government. We know they are trying, but they should help free our children.”
Another resident, identified as Madam Agnes, also recounted the attack during the youth council’s visit.
She said the gunmen, who were dressed like soldiers, arrived shortly after the children resumed school activities.
“We thought they were visitors who came to greet the schoolchildren. Suddenly, we started hearing loud gunshots,” she said.
Agnes said residents fled into nearby bushes in fear.
“Nobody stayed behind. Everybody started running. Nobody stopped to wait for the children,” she said.
She added that the attackers had already killed a youth in Yawota before residents fled toward Esinele, unaware that danger had spread there as well.
“Please, we are begging. They are small children,” she said in tears.
The Elesinele of Esinele, Tajudeen Abioye, confirmed the abduction during the visit by the Oriire Youth Council delegation.
“What happened was that kidnappers invaded this town on Friday and abducted our children, teachers and the principal,” he said.
Abioye appealed for both divine and government intervention.
“God should have mercy on us and not allow this town to be known for bad things,” he said.
The attack occurred on Friday, May 15, when terrorists riding motorcycles invaded Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele; and L.A. Primary School in Oriire LGA around 9:30 a.m.
The attackers abducted pupils, students and members of staff, including mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, who was later beheaded by the abductors. A video of the killing was circulated online.
The vice principal, Mrs. Alamu Folawe, was also abducted.
The Defence Headquarters later confirmed that the attackers were members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad terrorist group displaced from enclaves in the North-East.
Reports indicated that the abductors had opened communication with the Oyo State Government but refused to negotiate with families of the victims, insisting on speaking directly with the governor.
Governor Seyi Makinde’s Special Adviser on Security, Abayomi Fagbenro, has dismissed social media claims suggesting that the hostages had been released, describing the reports as false.
