‘Please They Are Small’ – Hired Worker Begs Oyo Govts To Rescue Kidnapped Pulpils

A hired worker in Yawota community, Oyo State, Aduke Balogun, has appealed to the government to rescue her ward, Kehinde Kaosarat, who is among the schoolchildren abducted by terrorists in Oriire Local Government Area.

Naija News reports that Balogun said she had no family in the community and was solely responsible for the child, whose biological parents were absent.

She made the appeal during a solidarity and condolence visit by the Oriire Youth Council to affected families, traditional rulers and community leaders in Esinele and Yawota.

A video of the visit, posted on Tuesday by the Facebook page, ‘Oriire ni tiwa’, went viral on Friday.

Speaking in Yoruba, Balogun said she relocated to the community for work and had been caring for Kaosarat.

“I am the father of the child and the mother of the child. Her parents are not here. Me too, I have no one. I came here as a hired worker,” she said.

She said the morning of the attack began like a normal school day.

“In the morning, we bathed our children. They went to school. After 9am, we saw some people dressed like soldiers. We were saying, which visitors have entered Yawota,” she said.

Balogun said the situation changed suddenly when gunshots rang out.

“Before we knew it, we started hearing gunshots. Everybody started running around. Nobody was around,” she said.

She added that she briefly saw her ward during the confusion before losing sight of her.

“I saw my daughter, Kaosarat. Her name is Kehinde Kaosarat,” Balogun said.

Appealing to the authorities, she said, “Please help me. We are visitors. We are begging the government. We know they are working. But they should help free our children.”

Mother Recounts Panic

Another mother, identified as Madam Agnes, also narrated how the attack unfolded.

“Shortly after 9am, the children resumed school. The bandits who were dressed as soldiers passed. We all thought they were visitors who came to greet the school children. All of a sudden, we started hearing gunshots and they were very loud,” she said.

Agnes said residents fled in different directions and could not wait for the children.

“Nobody stayed. We all started running. Nobody stopped to wait for the children. We were all running inside the bush,” she said.

She added that the attackers had also killed a youth in Yawota.

“They had killed a youth in Yawota near the nursery school. We were running towards Esinele. We didn’t know there was danger there also. Please, we are begging. They are small,” she said.

Traditional Ruler Seeks Help

The Elesinele of Esinele, Tajudeen Abioye, confirmed the abduction of children, teachers and the school principal.

“What happened is that kidnappers entered this town on Friday. They abducted our children, teachers, and the principal. That is what happened that made the name of this town popular,” he said.

Abioye appealed for government and divine intervention.

“God should please have mercy on us and should not let us be known with bad things,” he said.

Terrorists on motorcycles had attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele; and L.A. Primary School, all in Oriire LGA, around 9:30 am on Friday, May 15.

They abducted pupils, students and staff members.

Among those taken was mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, who was later killed by the abductors. The vice-principal, Mrs Alamu Folawe, was also abducted.