Army Takes Over Old Oyo National Park After Oriire Kidnap

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

The move, according to the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen Auwalu Mahmuda, is aimed at preventing kidnappers and other criminals from returning to the vast forest, which had been used as a hideout.

Mahmuda disclosed this on Wednesday while receiving members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Oyo State Council, at the division’s headquarters in Odogbo, Akinyele Local Government Area.

He said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Waidi Shuaibu, ordered the division to begin using the park as a training site after the successful rescue of the victims abducted in Oriire.

Mahmuda said the military presence in the park would make it difficult for criminals to return to the area or use the forest as a base for their operations.

“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.

“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.

“With the 2 Division fully utilising the park, it will be a herculean task for men of the underworld to use it as their hideout,” he said.

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

The GOC also urged journalists to strengthen their collaboration with security agencies, particularly by verifying information before publication.

He warned that misinformation could worsen security challenges, stressing that the Army regarded the media as a partner in the fight against insecurity.

Mahmuda called for closer cooperation between journalists and security agencies to ensure that the public receives accurate information on security operations.

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