A VIRAL video circulating on social media claims to show a massive deployment of the Oyo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, combing the forests following the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The footage captures a squad of armed security personnel navigating a forested area.
A verified X user, @Hon_Jesugbemi posted this claim on June 7, with the caption: “Oyo state Amotekun and Nigerian Military spotted in the forest working hard to bring back the abducted children and teachers.”
As of June 9, 2026, the post has accumulated over 38,000 views, 140 likes and over 40 reposts, with users praising the Oyo Amotekun officers for their swift response.
READ: Tinubu’s aide spreads false claim about rescue of Oyo abducted pupils, teachers
CLAIM
Viral video shows Oyo State Amotekun operatives deployed in the forest following the Oriire school abductions.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.
The security operatives captured in the footage are not from Oyo State, and the video has absolutely nothing to do with the recent school abductions in Oriire community.
The ICIR earlier reported an abduction in the state on May 15, when gunmen attacked communities in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The report detailed how Oyo’s first major school abduction shattered families and emptied vulnerable villages, serving as the direct trigger for the public protests demanding immediate government action and better security infrastructure.
READ ALSO: How false claims, recycled videos clouded Oyo school abduction
A reverse image search of the footage done by The FactCheckHub traces the original footage directly to the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps).
The video was originally recorded and published months prior to the Oyo abduction, which was shared on Facebook on November 20, 2025, by an operative identified as Ekujumi Julius.
Julius originally filmed the footage to document routine operational exercises by the Ondo Amotekun corps within its jurisdiction.
VERDICT
The claim that the video shows Oyo Amotekun operatives searching for the abducted Oriire students is misleading. Search proves the video was filmed in Ondo State and originally uploaded by an Ondo Amotekun operative in November 2025. It has no connection to the ongoing security situation in Oyo State.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
