Sharia Demand for Oyo Abductees’ Release: Kidnappers Do Not Speak for Islam — Muslim Community

Chairman, Oyo State Muslim community, Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni

Sharia Demand for Oyo Abductees’ Release: Kidnappers Do Not Speak for Islam — Muslim Community

The Muslim Community of Oyo State has strongly condemned the recent Sharia-related demands made by abductors holding pupils and teachers hostage in Oriire Local Government Area, declaring that terrorists do not represent Islamic values and cannot speak for Muslims.

The leadership of the community issued this statement on Friday, June 5, 2026, following recent criminal acts where kidnappers attempted to justify their actions using religious rhetoric. The community clarified that Islam strictly forbids kidnapping, terrorism, and the extortion of innocent citizens, emphasizing that legitimate Sharia advocates for justice, peace, and the protection of human life—principles that directly contradict the violent actions of criminals.

Newstrends reports that no fewer than 39 students and seven teachers were abducted when terrorists attacked three schools in Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, 2026. Two of the abducted victims have been killed, while the remaining captives—including toddlers as young as two years old—remain in captivity, exposed to harsh conditions in the forests. The attack marked one of the first mass school abductions of its scale in the South-West, a region previously considered relatively insulated from the mass kidnapping crises that have plagued Northern Nigeria. The assailants reportedly stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in a highly coordinated operation.

According to reports, the kidnappers have expanded their demands beyond financial ransom to include ideological and political conditions. The group is reportedly demanding ₦1 billion to be paid into a bank account in the Republic of Benin, two Hilux vehicles, the release of suspected accomplices held in Oyo and Ibadan prisons, and the implementation of Sharia law in Oyo State. The development was reportedly attributed to the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, who disclosed that the abductors had moved beyond financial demands to include ideological and political conditions. The Oyo State House of Assembly has since rejected negotiations with the abductors, insisting on intensified rescue operations instead.

Reacting to developments that have trailed the government’s efforts to secure the release of the abductees, the Muslim community in Oyo, in a statement signed by its chairman, Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni, and secretary-general, Alhaji Murisiku Abidemi Siyanbade, issued a clear condemnation of the abductors’ demands. The group stated: “In the Holy Qur’an, Chapter 3, verse 32, Almighty Allah says: ‘Therefore, We have ordained that he who slays a soul for spreading mischief on earth shall be as if he had slain all mankind, and he who saves a life shall be as if he had given life to all mankind. And indeed, again and again, did our messengers come to them with clear directives, yet many of them continue to commit excesses on earth.'” The leadership called on all Muslims and residents of Oyo State to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities, and reject any attempts to distort the peaceful teachings of Islam.

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The League of Imams and Alfas in Yorubaland, the foremost Islamic umbrella body representing the Muslim Ummah across the South-West, has also strongly condemned the abduction and dismissed any association between the kidnappers’ demands and authentic Islamic teachings. In a statement signed by top Islamic leaders including the Chief Imam of Ekiti State, Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere; the Chief Imam of Oyo State, Sheikh AbdulGaniy Agbotomokekere; and the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, Sheikh AbdulRasaq AbdulAzeez Ishola, the group declared that such criminal acts are unacceptable and contrary to the teachings of Islam. “Such criminal acts against innocent children, educators, and law-abiding citizens are unacceptable, condemnable, and contrary to the teachings of Islam,” the League stated. “Islam places great value on the sanctity of human life, security, and social harmony.” Quoting from the Qur’an, the clerics referenced Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:32: “Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.” They also cited the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SAW): “A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand people are safe.”

The Muslim community, under the aegis of the Chief Imam of Ibadanland and Grand Chief Imam of Oyo State, Sheikh Al-Imam Abdul-Ganiyy Abubakar Agbotomokekere, has announced a special prayer for the speedy and safe return of abductees from schools in Oriire Local Government Area. The prayer is scheduled for Sunday at Yidi Agodi Praying Ground, Ibadan, and will be led by the Chief Imam himself. “We implore all Muslims in Oyo State to join us at the prayer session,” the statement added. This follows previous spiritual interventions by the League of Imams and Alfas, who have commenced special prayers, supplications, and spiritual engagements across Yorubaland, seeking Allah’s intervention for the restoration of peace, security, and harmony in the region. Notably, during the recent Eid El-Kabir prayers at the same Agodi Eid Praying Ground, worshippers had already offered prayers for the safe return of the abducted victims.

The Muslim Community of Oyo State reiterated its full support for law enforcement agencies and urged authorities to track down the perpetrators swiftly. “We appreciate the intervention of the Oyo State government, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and pray to Almighty Allah to help them in their onerous intervention,” the statement read. “We also pray for our security agencies for the help and guidance of Allah in their rescue efforts so that there will not be any collateral casualty, as they conquer the criminals and bring back home safely the abductees, amongst whom are toddlers as young as 2 years old, exposed to very cruel treatment in the forests, in such a harsh condition. Our hearts bleed.” The League of Imams and Alfas similarly appealed to security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the lives and properties of all Nigerians irrespective of their sex, age, tribe or religion, and to arrest and prosecute those criminal elements fueling kidnapping, ritual killings, armed robberies, and other criminal activities in the country.

The Oyo State Government has urged journalists to refrain from publicizing details of negotiations with the kidnappers, warning that disclosure of sensitive information could jeopardize rescue efforts and lead to fatalities. The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has visited the affected communities and ordered intensified rescue operations, with additional tactical and intelligence assets deployed to reinforce ongoing operations within the area and adjoining forests. The Defence Headquarters has also deployed special forces and aerial surveillance assets to Oyo State, with the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, ordering a comprehensive security reinforcement across the general area. Security operatives have reportedly been slowed down by the presence of mines and improvised explosive devices planted by the kidnappers, who are also using the victims, especially children, as human shields. As the crisis continues, the Muslim community in Oyo State has made its position unequivocally clear: the abductors’ demand for Sharia law does not represent Islamic values, and terrorists cannot speak for the faith.