ORIIRE AREA, OYO STATE — Police in Nigeria took three gunmen into custody in connection with attacks on two primary schools in the Oriire area of Oyo state in the early hours of Friday. The suspects were identified by the community before they were arrested.

Gunmen abducted students at Baptist Nursery and Primary School in the southwestern state. Authorities were still assessing the number of schoolchildren that might have been taken, and police did not say if they were searching for more suspects.

The state ordered school closures in the Oriire area while police launched a manhunt for the abductors. The attacks brought renewed attention to the security of schools in southwestern Nigeria, a region where such incidents are less common than in the north.

School attacks usually occur in the northern region of Nigeria, where most armed groups operate. Abduction of schoolchildren has been common in the country during battles with several armed groups. Analysts say armed groups, including Boko Haram, often target schools for high ransoms to gain government attention.

Two mass abductions from schools in northern Nigeria took more than 300 children last year. Borno and neighboring states have seen repeated attacks on schools and communities despite ongoing military operations.

Violence has waned from the peak of Nigeria's rebellions, which began with Boko Haram's 2009 uprising. Analysts have warned of a potential increase in attacks since 2025, especially in rural areas outside or barely under government control.