The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has revealed that the recent **kidnapping incident in Oyo State was carried out by terrorists displaced from other parts of the country due to intensified military operations.
In a statement signed by Major General Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations, the DHQ said the attackers were members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) terrorist group.
The military explained that sustained offensives in other regions have forced the group to disperse and carry out attacks in areas like Oyo State, where they abducted pupils, teachers, and other residents from communities such as Ahoro-Esinle in Oriire Local Government Area.
Maj. Gen. Onoja also denied misleading claims that the military had described terrorists in the South-West as ordinary criminals, calling such reports “mischievous and misleading.”
The Defence Headquarters said its earlier statements were intended to provide intelligence-based context on the security situation, prevent misinformation, and avoid unnecessary panic among residents.
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DHQ emphasised that it did not seek to undermine any elected official or downplay the severity of the attack.
Security forces remain deployed in affected areas, working with other agencies and local stakeholders to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks and restore peace and stability.
The Oyo abduction, which also left several people dead including a teacher, underscores the ongoing security challenges facing parts of Nigeria’s South-West, as authorities intensify efforts to rescue abducted victims and neutralise the perpetrators.
