The police command in Oyo state has dismissed claim that one of the schoolchildren abducted in Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire LGA, died while in captivity.

In a statement issued on Friday, the command described the report as false, misleading and designed to incite panic among residents.

The police said neither the police nor any security agency involved in efforts to rescue the abducted pupils had confirmed such development.

“The report is false, misleading, mischievous, and without any factual basis whatsoever,” the statement reads.

The command accused the authors of the report of deliberately using unverified claims and emotional narratives to manipulate public opinion and create fear.

“It is particularly disturbing that the authors of the report deliberately employed emotional narratives, speculative claims, and unverified accounts in a calculated attempt to manipulate public opinion and generate anxiety among residents,” the statement added.

The police said ongoing rescue operations are being pursued with professionalism and confidentiality, warning that the spread of false information could undermine security efforts and inflict further trauma on affected families.

The command cautioned bloggers, social media influencers, online content creators and media organisations against publishing unverified security-related information.

“The indiscriminate sharing of false reports, particularly those capable of inciting fear or causing public disorder, is irresponsible and unacceptable,” the statement said.

The police urged residents to disregard the report and rely only on information released through official channels of the Nigeria Police Force and other authorised government agencies.

The command reiterated its commitment to public safety and assured residents that verified updates on the incident would be communicated as necessary.

Several schoolchildren were recently abducted by gunmen in Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire LGA, prompting a coordinated rescue effort by security agencies.

The police said investigations and rescue operations remain ongoing.

The abductors of teachers and pupils from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have reportedly made a four-point demand before they will free the captives.

According to media reports, the abductors, who attacked schools in Esinele, Yawota and Alawusa communities on May 15, are reportedly demanding the release of detained terrorist commanders, payment of ransom, two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia-related law,  reports.

The two commanders whose release is reportedly being sought are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri, also called Mallam Mamuda.

The two terrorists are leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan, JAMBS, also known as Ansaru — a breakaway faction of Boko Haram — and are alleged to have aided and abetted acts of terrorism in the country between 2013 and 2015.

The two were arrested between May and July 2025 and are currently standing trial on terrorism charges before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/464/2025, with their trial commencing on January 15, 2026.

Usman was sentenced to 15 years in prison by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on September 11, 2025, after pleading guilty to one count of illegal mining — which he admitted he used to fund arms procurement for terrorism and kidnapping.

He denied 31 other counts and remains in DSS custody pending trial on those charges.

His deputy, Abba, pleaded not guilty to all 32 counts and is also standing trial before the same court.

Unconfirmed reports also claimed that the terrorists are demanding a ransom put at ₦1bn, which is to be paid into a bank account in the Republic of Benin.

Security analysts have warned that releasing the commanders would pose serious risks to national security.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government has declined to comment on the demands or the state of negotiations, with the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, saying it would be “unhelpful” to disclose the government’s strategy while efforts to secure the victims’ release were ongoing.

On May 17, two days after the attack, the abductors released a video showing the beheading of one of the kidnapped teachers, Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher at Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele.

Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed the killing in a statement on Monday, May 18, describing it as deeply painful.

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), working with forest guards, have intercepted a consignment of medical supplies allegedly meant for fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Borno.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the supplies were intercepted on Friday during a coordinated operation in Kaga LGA of the state.

Makama, citing security sources, said the operation targeted a suspected supply route used by insurgent logistics networks operating within and around forested areas in Borno.

The publication said the seized items included large quantities of pain-relief medications, anti-malaria injections, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical products, as well as basic consumables believed to be intended for battlefield resupply.

Makama said the consignment was linked to efforts to replenish ISWAP fighters following casualties and operational setbacks suffered during recent intelligence-led operations involving Nigerian security forces and the United States Africa Command (US-Africom).

The publication said the interception was part of ongoing efforts to disrupt insurgent logistics networks and prevent the movement of medical and material support to remote terrorist enclaves.

According to Makama, preliminary investigations indicated that the supplies were being transported in small batches to evade security patrols along forest corridors.

Makama said the materials have since been taken into custody for forensic examination, while security agencies have launched investigations to identify and apprehend those behind the shipment.

On June 1, the Nigerian military in collaboration with the US-Africom reportedly killed 21 ISWAP fighters in an air strike in Arege, Kukawa LGA of Borno.