Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has imposed a 16-hour curfew across 10 local government areas surrounding the Old Oyo National Park following growing security concerns over the abduction of students and teachers in the area.
Nigerian Newssphere reports that the national park has become a major source of concern for residents, with reports indicating that bandits are holding recently abducted victims within the forest reserve.
No fewer than 39 students and seven teachers were kidnapped last month from communities in Oriire Local Government Area.
In response to the security situation, Makinde on Tuesday announced a curfew covering the 10 local government areas bordering the park.
The directive was contained in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, and made available to journalists through the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju.
According to the statement, the curfew will take effect from Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
The government said residents in the affected areas must observe the restriction of movement between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. daily for an initial period of 48 hours.
The affected local government areas are Oriire, Orelope, Irepo, Saki West, Saki East, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iseyin, Olorunsogo and Atiba.
The state government said the measure is part of efforts to address the worsening security challenges around the Old Oyo National Park and facilitate ongoing operations aimed at securing the release of the abducted students and teachers.
