Army Takes Over Old Oyo Park As Training Ground After Oriire School Abduction

The Nigerian Army has taken over the entire stretch of the Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State and designated it as a military training ground following the abduction of more than 40 pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

The move is aimed at preventing kidnappers and other criminal elements from returning to the vast forest, which security authorities believe had been used as a hideout.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen Auwalu Mahmuda, disclosed this on Wednesday when he received members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, at the division’s headquarters in Odogbo, Akinyele Local Government Area.

Mahmuda said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Waidi Shuaibu, directed the 2 Division to utilise the park as a training site after the successful rescue of the victims of the Oriire abduction.

He explained that the military’s presence in the park would make it difficult for criminal elements to use the forest as a base for their operations.

According to him, “The order came after the rescue of the victims of the Oriire kidnap. By taking it over, the park has become a no-go area for kidnappers and other men of the underworld using the large forest as a base for their nefarious activities.”

Mahmuda added: “On the order of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Waidi Shuaibu, the 2 Division has taken over the entire stretch of the Old Oyo National Park as a training site in order to prevent a repeat of the Oriire kidnap saga.”

He further stated that the continued utilisation of the park by the military would make it increasingly difficult for criminals to establish hideouts there.

More than 40 pupils and teachers were abducted on May 15, 2026, during coordinated attacks on three schools in Yawota and Ahoro-Esienle communities in Oriire Local Government Area.

The victims reportedly spent 56 days in captivity before they were rescued by joint security operatives on July 10.

The Army chief also called for stronger collaboration between the media and security agencies, particularly in the verification of information before publication.

He cautioned journalists against disseminating unverified reports, noting that inaccurate information could aggravate security situations and undermine ongoing operations.

Mahmuda described the media as an important partner in the fight against insecurity and urged journalists to work closely with security agencies to ensure that the public receives accurate and responsible information on security operations.