- Islamic faithful and clerics from across Oyo State gathered at the Yidi Praying Ground in Agodi, Ibadan, to seek divine intervention against a sudden surge in regional kidnappings and banditry.
- The community remains on high alert following a highly coordinated attack in Oriire Local Government Area, where more than 40 teachers and students were taken captive.
- Religious leaders strongly dismissed any Islamic affiliation with the criminal networks, urging all citizens to actively support state security operatives with timely intelligence.
The Muslim Community of Oyo State organized a major inter-community prayer session on Sunday at the Yidi Praying Ground in Agodi, Ibadan, following a spate of high-profile kidnappings and banditry across the state.
Convened with the direct permission of the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Abdulganiy Agbotomokekere, Eko Hot Blog reports that the spiritual gathering brought together Islamic clerics, community leaders, and faithful representing the 11 local government areas of Ibadanland.
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Faced with an increasingly fragile security climate, the religious body declared that absolute unity among all Nigerians, transcending social status, tribal lines, or political affiliations, stands as the most potent weapon to dismantle the networks of insecurity threatening the peace of the state.
The mass prayer session comes on the heels of deep community anxiety surrounding a devastating mass abduction executed on Friday, May 15, 2026, when armed bandits staged a coordinated raid at Ahoro-Esiele in the Oriire Local Government Area, carting away over 40 teachers and students.
The incident occurred alongside the brief abduction of Mrs. Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, the younger sister of former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, and her 12-year-old twin sons, who were trailed and ambushed at Elewura-Challenge in Ibadan South West before being successfully rescued.
Highlighting the diversity of the prayer gathering, guest lecturer Muyideen Onihantu noted that representatives from the Hausa, Nupe, and Tapa communities actively participated, emphasizing that the battle for peace is a collective human necessity rather than an isolated regional or partisan affair.
Addressing the press on behalf of the state leadership, the Secretary-General of the Oyo State Muslim Community, Abidemi Siyanbade, expressed grave concern over the territorial incursion of bandits into the South-West via Ogbomoso, warning that a failure to decisively halt the trend could destabilize neighboring regions.
Siyanbade explicitly rejected claims that the criminal syndicates were operating under the banner of Islam, citing firsthand testimonies from a liberated hostage who revealed that the captors routinely ignored daily prayers while indulging in substance abuse and sexual assaults.
Concurrently, the National President of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Mustafa Olumide, warned that the educational sector is bearing the brunt of the crisis, noting that terrified parents have already begun withdrawing their children from schools.
The Islamic leadership collectively demanded an immediate overhauling of the nation’s security architecture by the government, while strictly advising citizens to abandon complacency and report suspicious movements or unfamiliar individuals within their neighborhoods to law enforcement.
