The Defence Headquarters has said that the recent abduction in Oyo State was carried out by members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), a terrorist group reportedly pushed out of other parts of the country following sustained military operations.
The military high command made this known on Thursday while responding to what it described as “misleading and mischievous” reports circulating about its earlier remarks on the nature of violent actors operating in the South-West.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, the attackers responsible for the incident were not ordinary criminals, but displaced insurgents.
“The recent incidence of kidnapping 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,” the DHQ stated.
The Defence Headquarters also dismissed interpretations suggesting it had described terrorists operating in the South-West as mere criminals, insisting such claims distorted its position.
“It is therefore inaccurate and misleading to suggest that the Defence Headquarters, at any point, referred to vicious and violent terrorists as criminals,” Onoja said.
The military explained that its clarification was intended to provide intelligence-based context and prevent public misunderstanding or panic regarding the security situation in the region.
It further reaffirmed that troops remain deployed across affected areas in collaboration with other security agencies to dismantle criminal and terrorist networks threatening national security.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains resolute in dismantling all criminal and terrorist networks threatening the peace, stability and unity of the nation,” the statement added.
The clarification comes in the wake of the recent attack in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where armed assailants invaded a community high school in Ahoro-Esinle, abducting pupils, teachers, and other residents. Several people were reportedly killed during the incident, while one of the abducted teachers later died after a video linked to the attack surfaced online.
The Defence Headquarters maintained that ongoing military operations across the country are aimed at preventing displaced insurgent groups from regrouping in new locations and expanding criminal activity.
