Fresh concerns have emerged over the security situation in the South-West following the Defence Headquarters’ disclosure that fighters linked to Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), also known as Boko Haram, were involved in the recent school abductions in Oyo State.
Security experts say the development points to a dangerous convergence between terrorism and kidnapping, raising fears that extremist elements displaced from the North-East may be establishing new operational bases in other parts of the country.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, recently disclosed that the attackers behind the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area were linked to JAS.
According to him, the terrorists involved were among insurgent elements displaced from their traditional enclaves by sustained military operations in the North-East.
“The recent incidence of kidnap in Oyo State was clearly perpetrated by terrorists of the JAS Group that have been dislodged from other parts of the country due to high-intensity operations being conducted all over,” Kangye stated.
The military spokesman noted that continued pressure on terrorist groups had fragmented many of their camps, forcing some fighters to migrate into forests and remote locations outside their former areas of influence.
JAS, formally known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, traces its roots to the movement founded by Mohammed Yusuf in Maiduguri in the early 2000s.
The group became notorious for its violent opposition to Western education, democracy and secular governance. Although Boko Haram is the name most Nigerians recognise, JAS represents one of the factions that emerged after years of military pressure, leadership disputes and ideological divisions within the insurgency.
Following the death of Abubakar Shekau, one of the group’s most feared leaders, JAS splintered further but retained its reputation for extreme brutality.
Its history includes mass killings, suicide bombings, village massacres, attacks on schools and large-scale abductions.
The 2014 kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok remains one of the most infamous terrorist operations in modern African history
The fears intensified following the killing of Michael Oyedokun, one of the teachers abducted during the attack on schools in Ogbomoso.
Security analysts say the method of the killing bears similarities to tactics historically associated with extremist groups operating in Nigeria’s North-East.
They argue that the incident goes beyond conventional kidnapping for ransom and reflects a broader security threat.
Experts noted that schools have long been strategic targets for extremist groups because of both ideological and operational reasons.
They said attacks on educational institutions generate widespread fear, attract publicity and undermine confidence in government protection.
Security specialists also pointed to the extensive forest belts stretching across Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Kwara and Kogi states as factors aiding criminal and extremist activities.
The Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo and adjoining forest corridors have repeatedly been identified as safe havens for kidnappers and armed groups.
Kidnap incident management specialist Sam Otoboeze said the Oyo attack showed that kidnapping in Nigeria increasingly overlaps with terrorism and organised criminality.
“Kidnapping in Nigeria is no longer merely a ransom business. It increasingly overlaps with terrorism, banditry, cult violence, political intimidation, revenge attacks and organised criminal financing,” he told Vanguard.
Forensic and criminal intelligence specialist Alfred Ononugbo also warned that weak control systems and poor policing create opportunities for criminal networks to thrive.
“When our control systems collapse and policing does not effectively manage these developments, criminals operate with absolute impunity,” he said.
The Oyo school abduction is one of several recent attacks across the South-West and adjoining states.
In Oyo, dozens of pupils and teachers were abducted in Oriire Local Government Area, while the sister and nephews of former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu were later kidnapped in Ibadan.
Neighbouring Ekiti, Ondo and Kwara states have also recorded high-profile abductions involving residents, travellers and entire communities.
