DHQ blames Oyo kidnapping on displaced JAS terrorists, denies downplaying threat

The Defence Headquarters says the recent kidnapping in Oyo State was carried out by Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal (JAS)-Jihad terrorists displaced from other parts of the country by military operations.

In a statement on Thursday, the DHQ described reports claiming it had classified South-West terrorists as ordinary criminals as “mischievous and misleading.”

Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, said the Oyo abduction 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.”

He stressed that the military never referred to “vicious and violent terrorists as criminals.” According to Onoja, the DHQ’s earlier clarification on security in the South-West was meant to provide intelligence-based context and prevent misinformation and panic.

The military also said it had not undermined any elected leader or downplayed the crime against residents. It reaffirmed that the Armed Forces remain committed to supporting constitutional governance and protecting democratic institutions.

Troops remain deployed in affected areas and are working with other security agencies and local stakeholders to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks.

The statement followed attacks in Oriire Local Government Area, where armed men abducted pupils, teachers, and residents from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle. Several people were killed, and one abducted teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed after a video linked to the attack surfaced online.