₦airaland Forum

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, recently debunked the viral images and videos being circulated representing the abducted Oyo school children. He stated the images were actually from Mali in June 2020, showing a teacher flogging young students.

He accused “terrorists’ sympathisers of distributing the images to sow fear, paint the government and security forces black, and undermine rescue efforts”.

He also “strongly charged Nigerians to stop circulating unverified, fabricated pictures and videos depicting the killing and abduction of school children”.

Context: The Oyo abduction that triggered this Manipulation.

1. May 15, 2026: Gunmen abducted the principal and several students of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle in Oriire LGA, Oyo State. OYOSUBEB confirmed a teacher was killed and ordered school closures in 4 LGAs.

2. Misinformation spread: After the attack, foreign/fabricated images went viral claiming to show the Oyo victims. Fact-checkers found one viral video was actually from Cameroon, showing students humiliated by separatist fighters, not Nigeria. Another set of photos Onanuga flagged were from Mali in 2020.

Here are the Key Points from Onanuga’s statement:

- The viral images are NOT from the Oyo incident. So, stop manipulating the media because of political sentiments.

- Sharing the videos on social media does not actually help solve the problem but distracts the right people to solve the problem from the real rescue efforts.

- He urged people to verify contents before sharing them on social media.

- Government is working to secure the release of victims abducted on May 15 from Oriire LGA in Oyo State.

Please channel the energy into saving the lives that are in danger with every passing second

Bayo onanuga is a tribalistic, a rabble rouser, and an old fewl.

Nothing good can come out of the mouth of APC supporters and politicians

..the koko is school children and some of their teachers were kidnapped; let this irresponsible government fight for their release and stop telling us nonsense!

PlasmaTV:
Bayo onanuga is a tribalistic, a rabble rouser, and an old fewl.

How's he a tribalists? He's from Oyo state and he's telling you facts as insider must you attack everything that moves? Are you an attack doggy?

PlasmaTV:
Bayo onanuga is a tribalistic, a rabble rouser, and an old fewl.

Forget about the messenger, let's focus on the message. There is sense in what he is saying.

Now, let's just talk about this "What If"...this is just me thinking based on my experience...

What if a group of these politicians decided to kidnap these Oyo School Children and their teachers and keep them somewhere in a "safe place" just to prove a point that Tinubu is useless as he can't secure the people. Then start sending manipulated videos and sharing them around, paying content creators to be creative with bloody and frightening contents...then when the atmosphere is fully charged that there is fire on the mountain in Nigeria, they release the children safely after the election. All these may just be to distract Nigerians before and during the incoming election.

Anything is possible when it comes to politics in Nigeria.

What I even know sef? I am just an ordinary Nigerian Police Woman.

This Bayo fella would have been a great poet with his mouth shut.

alanto:
How's he a tribalists? He's from Oyo state and he's telling you facts as insider must you attack everything that moves? Are you an attack doggy?

Do you understand English?

MamaFryo:
Forget about the messenger, let's focus on the message. There is sense in what he is saying.

Now, let's just talk about this "What If"...this is just me thinking based on my experience...

What if a group of these politicians decided to kidnap these Oyo School Children and their teachers and keep them somewhere in a "safe place" just to prove a point that Tinubu is useless as he can't secure the people. Then start sending manipulated videos and sharing them around, paying content creators to be creative with bloody and frightening contents...then when the atmosphere is fully charged that there is fire on the mountain in Nigeria, they release the children safely after the election. All these may just be to distract Nigerians before and during the incoming election.

Anything is possible when it comes to politics in Nigeria.

What I even know sef? I am just an ordinary Nigerian Police Woman.

Let's wait and see.

MamaFryo:
Forget about the messenger, let's focus on the message. There is sense in what he is saying.

Now, let's just talk about this "What If"...this is just me thinking based on my experience...

What if a group of these politicians decided to kidnap these Oyo School Children and their teachers and keep them somewhere in a "safe place" just to prove a point that Tinubu is useless as he can't secure the people. Then start sending manipulated videos and sharing them around, paying content creators to be creative with bloody and frightening contents...then when the atmosphere is fully charged that there is fire on the mountain in Nigeria, they release the children safely after the election. All these may just be to distract Nigerians before and during the incoming election.

Anything is possible when it comes to politics in Nigeria.

What I even know sef? I am just an ordinary Nigerian Police Woman.

I wonder if na All these what if you go dey talk if na fryo dem march inside bush

shox:
I wonder if na All these what if you go dey talk if na fryo dem march inside bush

Wetin I fit talk? Na "what if na"...and if e com be, I trust my boy.


Wetin I even know sef? I'm just an ordinary Nigerian Police Woman.

Look that this incompetent wop of a man. Does the possibility that the images are manipulated or not change the fact that the children are still with their kidnappers and your useless government still doesn't have an answer?

MamaFryo:
Forget about the messenger, let's focus on the message. There is sense in what he is saying.

Now, let's just talk about this "What If"...this is just me thinking based on my experience...

What if a group of these politicians decided to kidnap these Oyo School Children and their teachers and keep them somewhere in a "safe place" just to prove a point that Tinubu is useless as he can't secure the people. Then start sending manipulated videos and sharing them around, paying content creators to be creative with bloody and frightening contents...then when the atmosphere is fully charged that there is fire on the mountain in Nigeria, they release the children safely after the election. All these may just be to distract Nigerians before and during the incoming election.

Anything is possible when it comes to politics in Nigeria.

What I even know sef? I am just an ordinary Nigerian Police Woman.

Hmmmm...this could be true. It is exactly the main reason I decided not to share the manipulated videos of the kids on any of my platforms. Something just keep telling me that it could be staged. Just imagine, the recent one that happened to Adelabu's family in a red car. There are plenty questions to ask.

Dogalmighty17:
Look that this incompetent wop of a man. Does the possibility that the images are manipulated or not change the fact that the children are still with their kidnappers and your useless government still doesn't have an answer?

No, the children are at your backyard. We are tracking you...