Fear and confusion reportedly gripped a community in Oyo State on Tuesday after panicked parents stormed a primary school and hurriedly withdrew their children following rumours of a terrorist attack in a nearby area.
The incident reportedly occurred at Ijeru Baptist Basic School I and III after alarming reports spread across the community alleging that armed bandits had invaded areas around the Ajawa axis.
Videos and photographs circulating online captured chaotic scenes as anxious parents rushed into the school premises, forced open the gates, and hurriedly evacuated their children amid growing tension and uncertainty.
According to a community source who witnessed the incident, the panic was triggered by unverified information linking nearby violence to suspected bandit activity.
“The parents stormed the school, forced the gate open, and began taking their children away by force,” the source reportedly said.
The source further explained that many parents ignored repeated assurances from school authorities, who insisted that there was no terrorist invasion in the area.
“The information they heard was that bandits were around Ajawa, which is not true,” the source added.
According to reports, teachers at the school attempted to calm the frightened parents after reaching out to security operatives within the district for clarification on the situation.
“The teachers came out saying they had contacted the police command within that district and were told the violence had to do with a clash between Fulani people and farmers in the area,” the source explained.
The incident comes amid rising tension and fear in parts of Oyo State following recent attacks and reports of abductions involving teachers and schoolchildren in communities around the Ogbomoso axis.
Residents in several communities have reportedly become increasingly fearful over growing insecurity and rumours of armed attacks, leading to heightened anxiety among parents and school authorities.
