The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed advanced aerial surveillance aircraft to track and locate dozens of pupils and teachers who were recently abducted from communities in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
​The deployment follows a brazen, coordinated assault in mid-May by heavily armed men in military camouflage who stormed the sleepy communities of Yawota and Ahoro-Esinele. During the raid, 39 pupils—some as young as two and three years old—and seven teachers were forcibly marched into the vast forest of the Old Oyo National Park, which borders Kwara State. The incident has triggered nationwide outrage, especially after it was revealed that three educators have already lost their lives, two killed during the initial assault and a third tragically executed in captivity.
​Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, confirmed the military’s swift intervention during a high-level briefing in Ibadan with top military officials, including Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Suleh, representing the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke.
​”The Nigerian Air Force promptly deployed an aerial surveillance platform immediately after the abduction was reported, providing critical intelligence to support search-and-rescue operations,” Governor Makinde stated. He emphasised that the real-time data and intelligence generated by the ongoing flyovers have been instrumental in helping joint security forces track the terrorists’ movements and coordinate ground efforts.
​The Air Force’s intervention comes at a crucial time. Governor Makinde revealed that Oyo State recently acquired its own specialized aerial security assets to combat the region’s rising insecurity. However, because those state-owned platforms are currently still being assembled and calibrated at the NAF Base in Lagos, the federal air wing immediately stepped in to fill the surveillance gap.
​Speaking on behalf of the Air Force leadership, Air Vice Marshal Suleh reaffirmed the military’s unwavering commitment to the mission, conveying the deep solidarity of the NAF with the grieving families and the people of Oyo State. He assured the public that the air asset would remain active over the area to guide tactical ground troops until all surviving hostages are safely recovered.
​The Senate has also weighed in on the tragedy, observing a minute of silence for the slain teachers and urging both political actors and the public not to politicise the security crisis.
​As the joint military and police operation intensifies deep within the rugged terrain of the Old Oyo National Park, state authorities have appealed to local residents for patience, prayers, and continued cooperation, promising that “everything humanly possible” is being done to bring the children and their teachers home.
