The 56-day captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted from the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has ended following a coordinated tactical operation by Nigerian security forces.
A combined team of military personnel, police officers, and intelligence operatives rescued all 44 remaining victims alive on Friday, July 10, 2026. The operation dislodged a suspected Ansaru terrorist network operating within the dense forests of the Old Oyo National Park and across neighbouring states.
The military confirmed that the rescue mission relied heavily on an intense, month-long intelligence campaign designed to isolate the kidnappers' logistics channels. In an official statement, the Acting Deputy Director of 2 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Danjuma, noted that tactical pressure forced the criminals to break.
"Multiple arrests were made within Oyo State and other locations across the country," Danjuma said. "These arrests completely disorganised the group, exerted overwhelming pressure on them, and ultimately led the terrorist group to unconditionally release the pupils and teachers."
The students and faculty were initially seized on May 15, 2026, during a violent raid targeting three schools in the Yawota and Ahoro-Esiele communities. Armed men on motorcycles invaded Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, sparking nationwide outrage.
The federal government maintained a strict stance against negotiating with the armed group throughout the standoff. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, emphasised that the state refused to yield to the captors' demands.
"There was no quid pro quo in the rescue, as one of the terrorists, a kingpin whose release was demanded by the kidnappers, is being prosecuted for his atrocities," Onanuga stated. He added that eight suspects are now in the custody of the Department of State Services.
Reacting to the news, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde expressed immense relief after nearly two months of public anxiety. "It is such a big relief for all of us. Right now, I am overjoyed," Makinde stated.
President Bola Tinubu commended the bravery of the armed forces but acknowledged the painful human cost of the crisis. While celebrating the safe return of the survivors, he promised that the law would account for those who did not make it back.
"My government will get justice for these children and their teachers and for the family of Mr. Oyedokun, who the terrorists gruesomely murdered," Tinubu said in a statement.
The rescued individuals are undergoing comprehensive medical checkups and psychological evaluations at a secure facility before being officially reunited with their families.