Afenifere Warns Against Meeting Terrorists’ Demands Over Abducted Oyo Pupils, Teachers

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has cautioned the Federal Government and security authorities against yielding to the demands of terrorists who recently abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State.

InfoStride News recalls that armed terrorists on May 15 invaded schools in Ahoro-Esinle, Yawota and Alawusa communities in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, abducting at least 39 pupils and seven teachers.

Initial reports indicated that the abductors demanded the release of detained terrorist commanders, payment of ransom, the provision of two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia-related laws in Oyo State.

However, one of the abducted teachers, in a viral video, denied claims that the terrorists demanded the implementation of Sharia law, stating that their primary demand was the release of detained commanders.

Among those reportedly sought by the abductors are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri.

The duo are said to be senior members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fi Biladis Sudan, Ansaru, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram. They were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, in 2025 following intelligence reports linking them to terrorist activities in the North-East.

Recent reports, however, indicate that the abductors have dropped some of their earlier demands and are now largely focused on obtaining ransom payments from the families of the victims.

Reacting to the development, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, warned that conceding to the demands of terrorists would have far-reaching consequences for national security.

“The idea of paying ransoms and acceding to sundry other demands of bandits and terrorists should not occur,” Ajayi told DAILY POST.

He described the situation as unfortunate, noting that criminal elements had become emboldened enough to dictate terms to the government and society.

“It is unfortunate that we find ourselves in a situation in which criminal elements would be asking us for a negotiation through which they make demands, whether reasonable or unreasonable. In any case, what can be reasonable in the demands that terrorists would make other than ones that would further imperil society?” he said.

According to Ajayi, the focus should not be on the nature of the demands but on the fact that terrorists have assumed the confidence to make such demands.

“What has bloomed into a monster or an ogre now would not have been in place if those concerned had done the right thing at the right time. That right thing was to clip their wings the moment they reared their heads,” he added.

Ajayi further warned that meeting the demands of terrorists would encourage more kidnappings, reward criminality and erode public confidence in government.

“It will encourage further abductions, reward criminality and make people lose confidence in the government and in themselves. It is an ill wind of unquantifiable proportion,” he said.

He also cited the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, noting that the law discourages ransom payments while providing a legal framework for preventing, detecting and prosecuting terrorism, terrorism financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

“It is high time that the Act is put into operation with emphasis on apprehending sponsors of terrorism and dealing with them decisively,” he stated.

Meanwhile, InfoStride News  gathered over the weekend that troops and other security personnel involved in the rescue operation have surrounded a hideout within the National Park forest where the victims are believed to be held.

Security sources also indicated that sustained military operations against the terrorists could soon lead to the rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers.