A high-powered security delegation has descended on Ahoro-Esinele in the Oriire Local Government Area of Ogbomoso following a deadly Friday morning assault by bandits on three local schools. The emergency response team includes:Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and TechnologyOyo State Commissioner of PoliceGeneral Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Mechanised Division, Nigerian Army. The coordinated early-morning raid targeted Community High School (CHS) Ahoro-Esinele, L.A. Basic School, and a private school in neighboring Yawota. Primary school teacher Joel Adesiyan and an unnamed student were shot and killed during the assault. Bandit forces abducted CHS Principal Mrs. Rachael Alamu alongside an unverified number of students and pupils. officials confirm five teachers remain completely unaccounted for. The attackers fled the scene using the principal`s personal vehicle, which security forces later recovered burnt out in a nearby forest. The joint security visit failed to establish the exact number of missing children due to the ongoing chaos in the community. No ransom demands or contact have been made by the captors. In reaction to the security breach, the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OYOSUBEB) ordered an immediate, indefinite shutdown of public primary schools in vulnerable areas. OYOSUBEB Executive Chairman, Dr. Nureni Adeniran, announced mandatory closures in four specific Local Government Areas:OriireSurulereOyo EastOlorunsogo. Dr. Adeniran stated that the school closures are a temporary preventative measure. This allows military and police units to comb the forests, stabilize the region, and track the attackers without risking secondary incidents.

Oyo State government has ordered immediate closure of all public primary schools in four local government areas in the state. The affected local government areas are Surulere, Oyo East, Oriire and Olorunsogo. Students and teachers were asked to vacate the schools untill further notice following the abduction of unspecified number of students on Friday. THENEWSCREDIT reports that an unspecified number of students were kidnapped at LEA School, Ahoro-Esinele, and Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele, Oriire local government area of the state in the early hours of Friday. Our correspondent reports that the principal of the secondary school was also abducted. The state government through the Universal Basic Education Board, UBEB, ordered immediate closure of all public primary schools in the affected local government areas. Executive Chairman of the Board, Dr Nureni Adeniran, in a statement issued on Friday, explained that the decision was taken in order to allow security agencies stabilise the area. Adeniran also confirmed the killing of a teacher during the incident. He said the number of students kidnapped has not been ascertained as at the time of filing this report on Friday. He added that his ministry, in conjunction with other agencies, are on top of the situation. “The Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, OYOSUBEB, expresses profound sorrow and deep concern over the unfortunate attack on LA School, Ahoro-Esinele, and Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele, Oriire LGUBEA, which resulted in the killing of a teacher and the kidnapping of some pupils. “As we speak, the accurate number of pupils kidnapped is yet to be ascertained, as security agencies continue to comb the affected areas and establish full details of the incident. “In the interest of safety, the Board has directed all primary schools in neighbouring communities, including Surulere, Oyo East, Oriire, and Olorunsogo, to immediately vacate their schools until further notice. This temporary measure is to prevent any secondary incidents and to allow security agencies to thoroughly stabilise the area,” the statement said.

OGBOMOSO – Public anxiety is mounting across the Ogbomoso zone following a wave of violent crimes, including a brazen assault on a farmhand coming on the heels of the shocking headline event,Bandits Storm Oriire Secondary School, Abduct Female Principal and Students After Shooting Tutor.” The latest incident occurred in Elere Ajinapa, located within the Oriire Local Government Area—the same general vicinity thrown into panic by the recent school invasion. According to a local farm owner whose identity is withheld for security reasons, two Bororo herdsmen deliberately herded their cattle into his cashew farm to graze and pilfered cashew nuts. When confronted by farmhands, the suspects fled. "The boys pursued them and got hold of one of them, but the other emerged later to attack them with a sword as they wanted to put the apprehended one on the motorcycle," the farmer narrated. The assault resulted in a deep, severe cut to 27-year-old Alao Ayoola, who was rushed for medical treatment. The aftermath of the violent confrontation has triggered accusations of law enforcement misconduct. After the attack was reported to the Igbon Police Station, the primary suspect also arrived at the same clinic seeking medical aid. "We suspected foul play," the farm owner stated. "What might likely have happened was that the Bororo man had also informed the police and he was advised to seek medical treatment too so that the police could record it as ‘two-fighting.’" Frustrated by the local station`s handling, the farmer escalated the case to the Area Command Office in Ogbomoso, which intervened and formally arrested both suspects. However, the farm owner remains outraged by reports that the police intend to arraign the suspects merely for "assault and wounding" instead of attempted murder, despite medical bills already exceeding N500,000 The violent clash underscores a rapidly deteriorating security situation in the region, mirroring the lawlessness seen in widespread reports of herdsmen destroying farmlands and the brutal school raids devastating local communities.

OGBOMOSO– A fresh crisis is brewing in the Ogbomoso zone of Oyo State, as a farm owner has raised the alarm over a violent attack on his employee by two Bororo herdsmen, expressing deep dissatisfaction with the handling of the case by local police. The incident occurred last week in Elere Ajinapa, located within the Oriire Local Government Area, near Gambari in the Surulere Local Government Area. According to the farm owner, whose identity is withheld for security reasons, the two suspects deliberately moved their cattle into his cashew farm to graze. When confronted by farmhands about the destruction and the theft of cashew nuts, the herders fled. "The boys pursued them and got hold of one of them, but the other emerged later to attack them with a sword as they wanted to put the apprehended one on the motorcycle," the farmer narrated. The attack resulted in a severe, deep cut to one of the workers, identified as 27-year-old Alao Ayoola. While the matter was reported to the Igbon Police Station, a strange development caused the farm owner to lose confidence in the local division. "Something strange happened as the attacker also reported at the same clinic for treatment, so, we suspected foul play. What might likely have happened was that the Bororo man had also informed the police and he was advised to seek medical treatment too so that the police could record it as ‘two-fighting,’" the owner explained. Due to suspicions that local officers were compromising the investigation, the owner reported the case to the Area Command Office in Ogbomoso, prompting the formal arrest of the two suspects. Despite the arrests, the farmer fumed that the suspects are allegedly being planned to be charged with lesser offenses. "We are not satisfied on how the matter is being handled by the police because we are hearing they are planning to arraign the suspect for assault and wound instead of attempted murder," he said, noting that they have already spent over (mathbb{N}500,000) on the injured boy`s medical treatment.

OGBOMOSO— Palpable terror has gripped the residents of the Ogbomoso zone in Oyo State following a daring daylight invasion of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, by heavily armed bandits. The attackers violently abducted the school`s female principal along with an unspecified number of students, leaving a male teacher fighting for his life after sustaining severe gunshot wounds. The incident, which occurred in the Oriire Local Government Area, has raised fresh anxieties regarding the vulnerability of educational institutions operating near expansive, porous forest reserves. According to community sources and reports initially tracked by www.thenewscredit.com, the heavily armed gang breached the school premises unexpectedly. The quiet academic environment was instantly shattered by sporadic gunfire as the attackers moved to round up staff and students. A tutor who attempted to intervene or stall the attackers was shot at close range. The gunmen singled out the female school principal, forcing her under gunpoint into her personal vehicle. A group of students, whose exact headcount remains unverified, were bundled into the operation as hostages. The bandits capitalised on the geographical vulnerabilities of the Oriire axis. After securing their victims, the suspects used the principal`s own car to drive out of the immediate vicinity before abandoning conventional transit. Multiple local sources confirmed that the bandits and their captives swiftly retreated on foot into the dense forest reserve that directly borders the Ahoro-Esinele community. The vast woodland terrain provides extensive cover, severely complicating immediate tracking and emergency rescue efforts by local vigilantes. This school invasion marks a deeply troubling escalation in the security profile of the Oriire Local Government Area. The geographic zone has faced heightened security volatility, closely trailing a previous deadly assault where suspected bandits infiltrated a National Park Service office at Oloka Community, killing five forest rangers. Local leaders from Newsmen had previously warned that the region`s expansive forest reserves and border porousness make it highly susceptible to criminal elements using the woods as tactical launchpads. This latest school raid underscores those exact fears, bringing the reality of Northwest-style student abductions directly into the South-West region. The shot tutor was rushed to an undisclosed medical facility within the Ogbomoso zone for urgent treatment. Local hunters and vigilante groups have reportedly mobilised to comb the forest fringes, though official security statements from the Oyo State Police Command regarding a formal rescue operation are still awaited. Parents have begun withdrawing their children from surrounding schools as a precautionary measure against further coordinated raids.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that Nigeria’s youthful population could vote him out of office if he fails to address the country’s economic challenges. Tinubu stated this on Thursday at the Africa CEO Forum, noting that Nigeria has a very dynamic youth population that is restless and unwilling to accept excuses. “We have a very dynamic youthful population, restless and not ready to accept any excuses. As a politician, if I don’t prepare them for that, they will vote me out,” the Nigerian leader said. Tinubu also responded to questions bordering on the economy and investment, including efforts he made to improve local tax administration during his tenure as governor of Lagos State. He said, “Lagos is the fifth-largest economy in Africa. I’m very proud of the legacy I left behind there, and I’m still monitoring it.” He further explained that removing bureaucratic bottlenecks would create the right incentives for foreign direct investment in the country. “This year alone, I can beat my chest that Nigeria is attracting close to $20 billion in foreign direct investments,” he said. He added, “Investment is very cowardly unless you are transparent, accountable and forthright. Part of that is Africa looking at itself, putting our resources together so we can go out there and negotiate for ourselves. “I wrote an article in the Financial Times talking about international rating agencies.”

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, on Thursday backed the call by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission for the establishment of 3,000 new police stations across the country, warning that the existing security infrastructure is grossly inadequate for Nigeria’s growing population. Disu stated that the Nigeria Police Force currently operates only about 2,000 police stations nationwide, a figure he said cannot effectively serve a population of more than 200 million people. He spoke at Infrastructure Dialogue 2026, a programme organised for entrepreneurs by Deutsche Partners Holding in Abuja. The IGP, who was represented by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Works, Obiora Oranwusi, said the scale of the country’s security infrastructure deficit requires urgent intervention through public-private partnerships, development finance institutions and capital market instruments. He said, “The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has identified the need for 3,000 new police stations, 1,000 new prisons, and 170 new barracks—a scale of investment that necessitates PPPs, DFIs, and capital market instruments. “As of today, we have only about 2,000 police stations nationwide. These deficits directly affect operational effectiveness and must be addressed through sustainable financing models. “The Police is undergoing a strategic reorientation—one that positions us as a proactive enabler of national development. Our mandate extends beyond crime response; it encompasses the creation of a stable, predictable environment in which legitimate enterprise can flourish.” Disu lamented the poor state of policing infrastructure in the country, listing outdated communication systems, inadequate surveillance coverage, insufficient patrol vehicles, weak ICT and data systems, dilapidated police stations and barracks, limited forensic laboratories and a shortage of protective equipment among the major operational setbacks facing the police. According to him, insecurity remains a major threat to national development and investor confidence, especially where criminal activities disrupt critical infrastructure projects. “Our nation continues to confront threats to critical infrastructure—vandalism, sabotage, extortion, and disruptions by organised criminal networks. “Recent incidents, including the apprehension of vandals through advanced CCTV surveillance on the 3rd Mainland Bridge, underscore both the scale of the challenge and the necessity of technology-enabled policing,” he said. A November 2025 report by the European Union Agency for Asylum revealed that more than 100,000 officers of the Nigeria Police Force are currently assigned to protect politicians and other Very Important Persons, despite the country’s estimated police strength of about 371,800 officers serving a population of roughly 236.7 million people. The report warned that the diversion of a substantial number of officers to VIP protection has worsened policing deficits, weakened community policing and reduced security coverage for ordinary Nigerians. Reacting to the concerns raised by the police hierarchy, the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, acknowledged the severe infrastructure gaps confronting the Force and linked the broader infrastructure crisis to issues of investment confidence and poor returns on investment. He said, “On a lighter note, I wanted to ask the IGP to pay us for the new standard bridge his men have been complimenting. That’s what I wanted to say earlier. But then, in your own speech, I started hearing you mentioning so many inadequacies the police have. You are having problems with a lack of vehicles, a proper communication system and equipment. “So, I changed my mind and said I’d better not ask for the money now. You have already complained so much about what you don’t have. “When we begin to talk about infrastructure, what most people think of are bridges, power, schools and maybe water. “People don’t understand that infrastructure goes beyond that. That was also the reason His Excellency Boni Haruna mentioned clearly that it is not just about financing because, in reality, Nigeria has so much money.” Former Governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna, blamed the country’s infrastructure failures on policy inconsistency, abandoned projects and weak contract enforcement. “When it comes to projects or infrastructure, there has to be preparedness on the part of the government to ensure that it’s continued. Otherwise, we will continue to experience waste of resources. That’s why we have abandoned projects all over the country today. So we need to legislate on that. “Secondly, we need to insulate technical institutions like BFIs, BOIs, and others from political control. Thirdly, the enforcement of contracts. If investors can’t trust that contracts will be honoured, capital markets will not fund it. So there must be sanctity of contracts. “We know the attitude of the government towards not respecting court judgments in this country. When we want to win the confidence of investors, our courts and arbitration must be respected. Finally, Nigeria’s infrastructure gap is not a financing gap. It is a credibility gap,” he.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the presidential ambition of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, is “dead on arrival”. Wike made the remark on Thursday while speaking with journalists during an inspection of road projects in Abuja, hours after the Oyo governor declared his presidential ambition in Ibadan. During his declaration at the joint mega-rally of the PDP and APM, Makinde stated that the country’s situation has “continued to deteriorate, putting the majority of Nigerians on survival mode daily. The governor added that government officials responsible for citizens’ welfare have abdicated their duties. Reacting, Wike dismissed claims of a political alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party and the Allied Peoples Movement, describing the arrangement as a “fraud”. “That’s the 419 we are talking about. INEC also knows that there is no such thing as a PDP-APM alliance,” he said. The minister further accused some opposition figures of misleading Nigerians with claims of a formal agreement or memorandum of understanding between both parties. Wike maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission has no record of any such alliance, adding that the PDP remains independent in its electoral preparations. “The screening of aspirants by the Abdulrahman Mohammed PDP faction clearly indicates that the party is independent and not in any alliance,” he stated. He also argued that Makinde’s political moves were behind the alleged arrangement, insisting that no such coalition exists. “What you have is Seyi Makinde joining APM to be able to actualise his presidential ambition, which is already dead on arrival,” Wike said. Wike insisted that the PDP would present its own presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, urging Nigerians to disregard speculation about any merger or coalition. He further referenced Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, noting that no discussion of a PDP–APM alliance was raised during his engagements within the party structure. “It’s unfortunate. We know that has been his game plan, and we would say he cannot fly the flag of PDP,” Wike said of Makinde. When asked about comments relating to internal matters in the All Progressives Congress, Wike declined to engage, stressing that it was not his concern. He further noted that party disputes are strictly internal affairs. Earlier during the inspection, Wike expressed satisfaction with progress on the 13-kilometre Gomani-Yangoji road project, saying it was on track for inauguration during activities marking President Bola Tinubu’s third anniversary in office in June. Bola Tinubu He added that the project reflects a broader policy to extend infrastructure beyond city centres into satellite communities in order to reduce rural-urban migration. “Remember that when we came on board, one of the directives of Mr President was that we should not concentrate development and provision of infrastructure only in the cities. We must open up all the satellite towns in order to discourage rural-urban migration,” Wike said.

The medical fraternity in Oyo State and across Nigeria is reeling from the sudden and shocking demise of Dr Sunday Oladeji, the Proprietor and Supervising Consultant at Mainsprings Hospital, Ogbomoso. Dr Oladeji passed away at approximately 3:00 AM after suddenly developing an acute health complication while in bed talking with his wife. Hospital sources confirmed he treated patients the previous day before complaining of fatigue. Immediate medical tests revealed no anomalies, normal blood pressure, and a clean bill of health before he was urged to rest. His body has been moved and deposited at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital mortuary. His untimely death at just 46 years old leaves a massive deficit in rural healthcare delivery for the Ogbomoso region. Colleagues, patients, and loved ones have expressed profound grief, lamenting the premature loss of a deeply committed healthcare professional. He is widely celebrated for his unparalleled dedication to community health and patient care in Oyo State.

The medical community in Oyo State and Nigeria at large has been thrown into mourning following the sudden passing of Dr. Sunday Oladeji, the esteemed Proprietor and Supervising Consultant at Mainsprings Hospital, Ogbomoso. Known for his unwavering dedication to community health and patient care, Dr. Oladeji’s death is a devastating blow to the healthcare sector in Ogbomoso. His departure leaves a significant vacuum in rural healthcare delivery within the region. As friends, colleagues, and patients reel from the shock of his demise, many have expressed deep sadness over the loss of such a committed professional, often describing the world as a cruel place for taking away dedicated healers in their prime. Rest in Peace, Dr. Sunday Oladeji. Your legacy of service in Ogbomoso will not be forgotten.