The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has linked the recent school abduction in Oyo State to members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), saying the attackers were terrorists displaced from other parts of the country by ongoing military offensives.
The military high command made the clarification on Thursday following what it described as “mischievous and misleading publications” surrounding comments earlier attributed to the DHQ on insecurity in the South-West.
In a statement signed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, the Armed Forces said the kidnappers responsible for the attack in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State were not ordinary criminals but fleeing terrorist elements pushed out of their strongholds by sustained military pressure.
“The recent incidence of kidnapping in Oyo State was clearly perpetrated by terrorists of the JAS Group that have been dislodged from other parts of the country due to high-intensity operations being conducted all over,” Onoja said.
The clarification follows growing outrage over the abduction of pupils, teachers and residents from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, in Oyo State. The attack sparked fears over the spread of terrorist activities into the South-West and triggered criticism after reports suggested the military had described such actors as mere criminals.
The DHQ denied making any statement downplaying the gravity of the attack.
“It is therefore inaccurate and misleading to suggest that the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), at any point, referred to vicious and violent terrorists as criminals,” Onoja stated.
He explained that the military’s earlier comments were intended to provide intelligence-based context about the security situation in the region and to prevent misinformation capable of creating panic among residents.
According to the DHQ, the emergence of isolated terrorist incidents in parts of the South-West is connected to the displacement of insurgent groups from traditional conflict zones in the North-East and North-West due to intensified military operations.
Security analysts have repeatedly warned that sustained offensives against insurgent camps could force fleeing fighters to seek refuge in previously low-risk areas, including parts of the South-West and North-Central.
The military also reacted to interpretations suggesting it undermined the authority of elected leaders in the region.
“At no time did the Defence Headquarters undermine the authority of any democratically elected leader or seek to diminish the gravity of the heinous crime committed against innocent citizens by terrorist elements,” the statement added.
Onoja said troops remained actively deployed across affected communities in collaboration with other security agencies, intelligence operatives and local stakeholders to track down the perpetrators and dismantle criminal cells operating within the region.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain resolute in dismantling all criminal and terrorist networks threatening the peace, stability and unity of the nation,” he said.
The Oyo incident has heightened concerns over rising insecurity in parts of the South-West, a region traditionally considered more stable compared to the insurgency-ravaged North-East.
One of the abducted teachers, identified as Michael Oyedokun, was later confirmed dead after a disturbing video linked to the attackers surfaced online, further fueling public anger and calls for stronger security measures.
The incident has also renewed debate over the need for improved intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency coordination and community-based surveillance to prevent armed groups from establishing footholds outside their traditional operational territories.
Military authorities insist ongoing operations across the country are yielding results despite emerging security threats caused by the movement of displaced terror cells.
