The pupils and teachers abducted during a deadly attack on three schools in Oyo State’s Oriire Local Government Area have regained their freedom after spending nearly two months in captivity.
The development was announced on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who confirmed that security agencies successfully rescued the victims.
In a post shared on his verified X account, Onanuga disclosed that all the abducted pupils and teachers had been freed.
“Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies,” he wrote.
He further stated that no concessions were made to the kidnappers to secure the victims’ release, dismissing speculation that the government negotiated with the terrorists.
According to Onanuga, neither ransom nor any of the demands reportedly made by the abductors was granted before the successful rescue operation.
The Oyo abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when heavily armed men invaded three schools in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area. The affected schools were Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School.
The attackers abducted no fewer than 39 pupils and seven teachers, including a school principal, throwing families and residents into weeks of fear and uncertainty.
The incident turned tragic during the attack when a teacher, Joel Adesiyan, was reportedly shot dead while trying to escape.
Another teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was later beheaded while being held in the kidnappers’ camp, further heightening public outrage over the Oyo abduction.
Reports had indicated that the kidnappers presented a four-point demand before agreeing to release the captives. The demands allegedly included the release of detained terrorist commanders, payment of ransom, the provision of two Hilux vehicles, and the implementation of a Sharia-related law.
However, the Oyo State Government consistently maintained that it would not pay ransom or negotiate with criminals to secure the victims’ freedom.
The prolonged Oyo abduction also sparked industrial action by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), which embarked on a month-long strike to pressure authorities into intensifying efforts to rescue the victims. The union later suspended the strike in July following renewed assurances from security agencies.
Throughout the crisis, the Federal Government, alongside the military and the Nigeria Police Force, repeatedly assured Nigerians that coordinated operations were underway to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers safely.
Friday’s announcement brings an end to one of the most disturbing school kidnapping incidents recorded in Oyo State in recent years, offering relief to the victims’ families and the affected communities.
Authorities are yet to provide further details on how the rescue operation was carried out or the medical condition of the rescued pupils and teachers. Similarly, there has been no official statement on whether any of the kidnappers were arrested or neutralised during the operation.
The rescue marks a significant breakthrough in the efforts of Nigerian security agencies to tackle school-related kidnappings, a crime that has continued to pose serious security challenges across parts of the country.
