A teacher who survived the mass abduction of pupils and staff from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has recounted the terrifying moments armed men stormed the school, saying the first warning came from frightened students who shouted, “Bandits, bandits!” before panic spread across the school premises.

Speaking about the attack, Olatunde Zacheus, one of the abducted teachers, said he had begun supervising students writing their examinations when the gunmen arrived. With only one member of staff initially present, he was overseeing Junior Secondary School students during the tests when the attackers invaded the school. As the armed men entered the premises, terrified pupils raised the alarm, forcing teachers and students into a desperate attempt to escape before they were eventually overpowered and marched into the forest.

Zacheus and dozens of other victims spent 56 days in captivity under harsh conditions before they were rescued in a coordinated security operation. Their experience exposed the severe physical and psychological trauma endured by victims of school kidnappings, with many survivors now facing the difficult task of rebuilding their lives after weeks of fear, deprivation and uncertainty.

The Oriire abduction is one of several attacks on schools across Nigeria in recent years, reinforcing fears among parents, teachers and students over the safety of educational institutions. Although the rescue of the victims has been widely welcomed, hundreds of other kidnapping victims remain in captivity, while many schools—particularly in rural communities—continue to operate under the constant threat of armed attacks.

The recurring attacks expose the devastating human and social consequences of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis. Beyond the immediate suffering of victims, school abductions interrupt education, inflict lasting psychological trauma, discourage school attendance and deepen inequality in access to learning. Ensuring that every child can learn in safety requires far more than emergency rescue operations. It demands sustained investment in public education, strengthened security and intelligence systems, protection for vulnerable communities and policies that address the poverty, unemployment and state neglect that continue to fuel insecurity across the country.