All the pupils, students and teachers abducted by bandits from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have regained their freedom after spending about 56 days in captivity.
The Presidency announced the development on Friday, saying the victims were rescued through sustained security operations that also led to the arrest of eight suspected kidnappers and the neutralisation of several others.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the breakthrough in a series of posts on his verified X handle.
“Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies,” Onanuga wrote.
Providing further details, he said eight members of the kidnapping gang were arrested during the operation.
“In the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised,” he stated.
Onanuga also dismissed reports that the victims were released following negotiations or a prisoner exchange with the abductors.
“There was no quid pro quo in the rescue as one of the terrorists, a kingpin, that the kidnappers demanded his release, is being prosecuted for his atrocities,” he said.
He added that security agencies would provide a comprehensive account of the rescue operation.
The victims were kidnapped on May 15 when heavily armed bandits invaded Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area.
The attack, which saw dozens of pupils, students and teachers taken into captivity, triggered nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over insecurity in schools.
Parents, labour unions, traditional rulers and civil society organisations mounted sustained pressure on the authorities to secure the victims’ release.
The incident also prompted the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Oyo State to embark on an indefinite strike over worsening insecurity in schools.
