Security agencies have rescued all the pupils, students and teachers abducted by bandits from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after about 56 days in captivity, with eight suspected kidnappers arrested and several others neutralised during the operation.
The Presidency announced the breakthrough on Friday evening, describing it as the outcome of sustained security operations that also foiled the abductors’ attempt to secure the release of one of their detained leaders.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the development in a series of posts on his verified X handle.
“Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies,” Onanuga wrote.
He later provided additional details, saying: “In the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised.”
Onanuga also denied reports suggesting that the victims regained their freedom through negotiations or a prisoner exchange.
“There was no quid pro quo in the rescue as one of the terrorists, a kingpin, that the kidnappers demanded his release, is being prosecuted for his atrocities,” he said, adding that, “the security agencies will give full account soon.”
The victims were abducted on May 15 when heavily armed bandits attacked Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, seizing dozens of pupils, students and teachers.
The abduction sparked nationwide outrage, with parents, labour unions, traditional rulers and civil society groups mounting sustained pressure on the authorities to secure the victims’ release.
The incident also triggered an indefinite strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Oyo State over growing insecurity in schools.
President Bola Tinubu had condemned the attack and ordered security agencies to intensify intelligence-led operations to rescue the captives and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The President subsequently dispatched a high-powered Federal Government delegation to the affected communities, approved the deployment of specialised rescue assets and authorised the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen security across Oyo State.
Friday’s operation marks the end of one of the country’s most closely watched school kidnapping cases in recent months, with security agencies expected to provide a detailed account of the rescue operation, the arrests and the condition of the rescued victims in the coming hours.
