School children and their teachers who were abducted in Oyo State regained their freedom in the early hours of today after being rescued in a joint security operation by Nigerian security forces.
The school children and their teachers (numbering about 39 pupils and seven teachers), were abducted on May 15, 2026 from three schools (Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School) in Esiele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State.
Confirming the rescue on Friday evening, Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, wrote in his official X handle: Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo, have been rescued by our security agencies.”
No further details were provided by Onanuga regarding the operation, but it was learnt from security sources that the kidnappers’ den was invaded in the early hours of today where nine of the kidnappers were killed and eight others arrested. The arrested kidnap suspects are currently in the custody of Department of State Services (DSS).
A few days after the kidnap of the pupils and teachers, one of the teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was reportedly beheaded by the kidnappers, while one pupil died also in captivity.
Prior to the rescue of the victims, the kidnappers had demanded the release of the colleagues in detention, provision of two Hilux vans and implementation of Sharia Law in Nigeria; demands that were apparently not met by the government.
In a video released from the Presidency on Friday, the kidnapped victims thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the nation’s security forces for their rescue.
The rescue of the kidnap victims, after almost two months in captivity, brings some succour to their families. Presidency sources said the rescued person s would be taken to Oyo State Governor after which they would be profiled.
But the nation still remains more or less in a state of war as kidnapping for ransom and killing of some victims remains a regular occurrence in many parts of the country.