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.
Gatekeepers News reports that the move is aimed at preventing kidnappers and other criminals from returning to the vast forest, which had allegedly been used as a hideout, according to Auwalu Mahmuda, general officer commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Nigerian Army.
Mahmuda disclosed this on Wednesday when he received members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), 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, directed the 2 Division to begin using the national park as a training site following the successful rescue of the Oriire kidnap victims.
“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,” Mahmuda said.
He added that the military’s occupation of the area would make it difficult for criminal groups to use the forest as a base.
“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 their 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 joint security operatives rescued them on July 10.
The GOC also called on the media to strengthen its partnership with security agencies, particularly by verifying information before publication.
He warned that the spread of misinformation could aggravate existing security challenges.
Mahmuda described journalists as partners in the fight against insecurity and urged closer cooperation between the military and the media to ensure that the public receives accurate information on ongoing security operations.
