The 56-day nightmare faced by dozens of pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State came to an end on Friday after security agencies successfully secured their release.
The announcement was made by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who confirmed that all the victims had been rescued.
“Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies,” Onanuga said in a post on his X handle.
He subsequently disclosed that eight suspected kidnappers had been arrested and were being held by the Department of State Services (DSS), while several members of the gang were killed during the operation.
The presidential aide also dismissed claims that the release of the victims was secured through a swap arrangement involving detained suspects.
According to him, there was no prisoner exchange, noting that one of the terror kingpins whose release was reportedly demanded by the abductors remains in custody and is still facing trial on terrorism-related charges.
The rescue brings closure to a kidnapping saga that began on May 15 when armed men invaded three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities near Ogbomoso.
The attackers, said to have arrived on motorcycles and armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, firing gunshots before whisking away dozens of pupils and teachers.
The incident shocked the nation and renewed concerns over the vulnerability of schools to criminal attacks despite repeated assurances by authorities on security.
Governor Seyi Makinde had confirmed shortly after the attack that 46 people were abducted, including 39 pupils and seven teachers.
Among those taken were the principal of Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Mrs Folawe Alamu, and a two-year-old child.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and ordered security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ release.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, deployed additional operatives and investigative resources to support the rescue effort, while intelligence agencies and the military launched coordinated operations to track the kidnappers.
The crisis took a tragic turn later in May when reports emerged that one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, had been killed by the kidnappers.
The development sparked nationwide outrage and increased pressure on both the federal and state governments to bring the ordeal to an end.
As public concern mounted, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, led a delegation of senior government and security officials to Oyo State to assess the situation and reassure affected communities of the government’s commitment to rescuing the victims.
The delegation included National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa.
President Tinubu also approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards for Oyo State as part of broader efforts to strengthen security around vulnerable communities and forest corridors often used by criminal groups.
The prolonged abduction also triggered industrial action by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), which directed teachers in public primary and secondary schools across Oyo State to embark on an indefinite strike.
The union argued that schools could not continue normal academic activities while dozens of pupils and teachers remained in captivity.
The strike, which lasted for several weeks, was eventually suspended after assurances from government officials that progress was being made in efforts to secure the victims’ freedom.
Throughout the period, several false reports claiming the victims had been released circulated on social media, forcing the Oyo State Government and security agencies to repeatedly issue clarifications and urge the public to disregard misinformation.
Earlier this week, Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar revealed that security agencies had exercised caution in dealing with the kidnappers because they repeatedly threatened to kill the hostages if their camps were attacked.
The minister explained that the threats necessitated a carefully coordinated strategy that combined intelligence gathering with tactical operations.
Friday’s successful rescue therefore marks the culmination of weeks of intensive efforts by security agencies, government officials and community leaders.
While details of how the operation was executed remain sketchy, the rescue has been welcomed by families of the victims and residents of Oyo State who had anxiously awaited positive news.
Attention is now expected to shift to the prosecution of the arrested suspects and further investigations into the kidnapping network responsible for the attack.
For the rescued pupils, teachers and their families, however, the development brings an end to nearly two months of fear, uncertainty and anguish, closing a painful chapter that drew national attention and reignited concerns over school security in Nigeria.
Leave a Reply