The Oyo State Police Command has strongly refuted viral online claims that the abducted students and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area have been freed. Labeling the rumors as false, misleading, and unsubstantiated, police authorities urged the public to disregard the misinformation. The clarification came via a statement on Thursday, June 4, by the Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, who implored citizens to rely strictly on official channels.
“Oyo Police Command wishes to categorically debunk the viral messages currently circulating across various social media platforms alleging that the pupils and teachers abducted from Ahoro Esiele and Yawota Communities in Oriire Local Government Area of the state have been released by their abductors,” the statement read.
“The Command states unequivocally that the claim is false, misleading, and entirely unsubstantiated.”
The updates follow the May 15 mass abduction where over 40 schoolchildren and their teachers were kidnapped during coordinated raids on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele; and L.A. Primary School in Oriire.
The incident triggered widespread condemnation and calls for intensified security interventions. In its latest briefing, the police assured the victims’ families that multi-agency search-and-rescue operations remain active. The state command maintained that security forces are leveraging all available resources to guarantee the safe rescue of the victims and the swift apprehension of the culprits.
“Security operatives are working tirelessly, deploying all available human and operational resources to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers, their unharmed reunification with their families, and the apprehension and prosecution of all those responsible for the heinous act,” the statement added.
Warning against the dangers of fake news, the command cautioned the public that spreading unverified reports threatens to trigger mass panic and derail active security operations. Residents are urged to rely exclusively on official updates dispatched by the Nigeria Police Force and authorized government channels. Furthermore, the police appealed for calm and heightened vigilance, urging citizens to support the ongoing rescue mission rather than fuelling anxiety by sharing unconfirmed rumors online.
