“Yorubaland Is Under Siege” – Afenifere Raises Alarm After Bandits Storm Three Oyo Schools, Abduct 45 Pupils

By Ademola Adekusibe
17th May 2026

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has declared that Yorubaland is now under siege following Friday’s coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where 45 pupils were abducted.

In a statement released on Sunday, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, expressed the organisation’s dismay and called on state governments to act decisively. The group’s leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, who just marked his 100th birthday, was said to be deeply saddened by the incident.

“The actions of South-West governors in recent times do not suggest that they appreciate the enormity of the responsibility they shoulder concerning the security of their land,” Ajayi said.

Afenifere warned that terrorists appear determined to overrun the South-West and called on governments in the region to prove they are alive to their constitutionally assigned responsibilities. “Everything must be done to ensure that no area in the region experiences an attack by kidnappers and bandits anymore,” the organisation declared.