Rescue of Oyo pupils and educators: Security forces gain upper hand against extremist kidnappers

Oyo students and teachers have been rescued from terrorists after being held captive for 56 days, with 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers finally freed from their ordeal.

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The rescue operation was carried out by a joint team of Nigerian Army and police personnel, backed by intelligence from the DSS, and resulted in the killing of nine terrorists and the arrest of eight others.

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Following their release, the rescued pupils and teachers appeared emaciated and weak, but were visibly joyful, and were seen hungrily eating snacks provided for them in a video posted by presidential spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga.

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In the video, the vice principal of Community Grammar School, Mrs Alamu Folawe, expressed her gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and the nation's security agencies for their efforts in securing their freedom, saying "We are grateful, Mr President, sir, we understand your commitment to our safety, and we appreciate all you did for us."

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A source with knowledge of the matter revealed that military personnel had sabotaged food supply to the forest reserve where the terrorists were camping, weakening their negotiating strength and ultimately leading to the successful rescue operation.

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President Bola Tinubu expressed profound joy at the successful rescue, praising the heroic efforts of the security agencies and regretting the anguish experienced by the children, their teachers, and their families during the 56-day ordeal.

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The President commended the Oyo State Government for cooperating with the Federal Government in the rescue efforts and charged them to ensure adequate security around schools across the state, also directing emergency agencies to provide necessary medical and relief support to the rescued victims.

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Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State described the rescue as "a big relief for all of us", thanking the Service commanders, the DSS, military, and President Bola Tinubu, and also expressing gratitude to the press for mounting pressure on the authorities.

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The Oyo State Government, in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, described the rescue as a significant victory in the fight against kidnapping and a vindication of its refusal to pay ransom to criminals.

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Professor Wale Alamu, husband of freed principal, Mrs Rachael Alamu, described the release as the end of eight weeks of anguish, calling on the government to draw lessons from the incident to prevent a recurrence and thanking all those who played roles in securing the victims' freedom.

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The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, reacted to the release, describing it as a happy moment for parents and commending President Bola Tinubu and the military for the feat.

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Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, commended the security agencies for taking the fight to the terrorists, saying "this is the first time that real rescue is being done", in reaction to the successful rescue operation.

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The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, when heavily armed terrorists attacked three schools in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, killing two teachers, Joel Adesiyan and Michael Oyedokun, and prompting widespread concern and intensified interventions by security agencies.

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In a related development, more than 40 other schoolchildren, some as young as two, were taken from their schools in northeast Borno state on the same day as the Oyo kidnapping and are still in captivity.