“Help us, bandits are after us” — Fear grips Ekiti students as they scramble into police truck amid rising school kidnapping concerns

• Ekiti students were seen running into a police truck in fear during a tense moment.

• A police officer helped some students climb into the vehicle for safety.

• The incident comes amid concerns over recent school kidnappings in Nigeria.

• Nigerians linked the panic to worsening insecurity and memories of the 2014 Chibok abduction.

Panic broke out among students in Ekiti State after secondary school pupils were seen running in fear toward a police vehicle, with many desperately trying to climb into the truck for safety amid growing fears of insecurity and possible attacks on schools across Nigeria.

In a viral video circulating online, frightened students could be seen rushing toward a police truck while shouting for help. A police officer attached to the vehicle was also seen assisting some of the students into the back of the truck as tension spread through the area.

However, the vehicle appeared unable to accommodate all the students, leaving several others stranded and visibly distressed as they struggled to find safety.

Although authorities are yet to officially confirm the exact cause of the panic, the incident has triggered widespread concern among Nigerians, especially following the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oyo State.

The incident has also reignited memories of previous mass school kidnappings that have continued to haunt many parts of the country over the past decade.

Just recently, police authorities confirmed that the students and teachers abducted during the Oyo school attack had not yet regained freedom, further increasing fears among parents and residents about the growing threat facing schools nationwide.

Many Nigerians online linked the fear displayed by the Ekiti students to the worsening insecurity situation in the country, where reports of kidnappings, bandit attacks and assaults on rural communities have become increasingly common.

School attacks in Nigeria gained global attention in 2014 after the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents. The incident sparked international outrage and led to the global “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign.

Since then, several other mass abductions involving students have been recorded across different states, particularly in northern Nigeria. In many cases, armed groups target schools in remote or poorly secured areas, often demanding ransom payments before victims are released.

Continued attacks on schools could worsen fear among parents and discourage education, especially in vulnerable communities already struggling with poverty and insecurity.

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The latest incident in Ekiti, though not confirmed as an actual attack, reflects the growing climate of fear surrounding schools and students across the country. Many social media users described the viral footage as disturbing, noting that children should not have to live in fear while trying to access education.

As reactions continue, some Nigerians are calling on both federal and state governments to strengthen school security, improve intelligence gathering and deploy more effective measures to protect students and teachers from potential attacks.