By Amofokhai Williams
Relief swept across Oyo State on Friday as all the pupils and teachers abducted during coordinated attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area were rescued by security agencies, ending a harrowing 56-day ordeal that had gripped families, communities and the nation.
The rescue brings to a close one of the most disturbing school abductions in recent times in the South-West, following sustained operations by the military, police, intelligence agencies and other security operatives.
The rescue of the pupils and teachers was was confirmed by Bayo Onanuga, in a post on X on Friday evening.
“Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies,” Onanuga said.
The victims, comprising 39 pupils and seven teachers, were kidnapped on May 15, 2026, when heavily armed gunmen raided three schools in the Yawota and Ahoro-Esinle communities of Oriire LGA. The coordinated attack shocked residents and reignited concerns over the spread of mass school kidnappings beyond Nigeria’s northern region.
During the attack, one teacher was killed while trying to protect the pupils, while another teacher was later murdered in captivity, deepening public outrage over the incident.
In the weeks that followed, security agencies intensified search-and-rescue operations after intelligence indicated that the abductees were being held within the Old Oyo National Park, a vast forest straddling Oyo and neighbouring states that has increasingly become a hideout for armed criminal groups.
The Nigerian Air Force deployed surveillance aircraft to support ground troops, while the Chief of Army Staff assured Nigerians that significant progress was being made toward securing the victims’ freedom.
The abduction sparked widespread condemnation, protests by teachers and parents, and a statewide industrial action by the Nigeria Union of Teachers before the strike was suspended following assurances from the government that efforts to rescue the captives were yielding results.
The Oyo State Government had consistently maintained that it would not negotiate with the kidnappers or pay ransom, despite repeated speculation and unverified reports claiming otherwise.
Although details of Friday’s rescue operation were still sketchy at the time of filing this report, the successful recovery of all the remaining captives marks a major breakthrough in the security operation and offers long-awaited relief to families who had endured weeks of anxiety.
