Nigeria's military has announced the successful rescue of all 44 pupils and teachers who were kidnapped two months ago from schools in the southern state of Oyo. The operation also resulted in the arrest of some of the individuals responsible for the abduction.
The freed captives are currently receiving medical attention at a secure, undisclosed location and will be reunited with their families at a later date, according to army spokesman Danjuma Jonah Danjuma. The military confirmed that several soldiers lost their lives during the rescue mission.
The kidnappings occurred on May 15 from three schools in the Osiire district: Baptist Nursery and Primary School, LA Primary School, and Community Grammar School. While no official confirmation of the victims' ages has been provided, children at such Nigerian schools typically range from two to 18 years old.
Families described the experience as harrowing, with particular difficulty arising from videos released by the abductors showing the teachers and pupils. "We are happy that they are out and we are grateful to everybody who has contributed in one way or the other for the release," said Prof Wole Alamu, whose wife, Rachael Folawe Alamu, is the headteacher of Community Grammar School.
The local teachers' union expressed relief and joy over the rescue. Hassan Ajibola, who leads the Teachers' Union in Oyo State, urged authorities to fully implement stronger security measures, such as those outlined in the Safe School Initiative launched over a decade ago. He suggested measures including the deployment of security personnel to schools, CCTV surveillance, regular patrols, fencing school premises, and utilizing local security groups.
The Oyo state abductions raised widespread concern due to their scale and location in the predominantly Christian southwest, a region where such attacks are less common than in the Muslim north. This incident has renewed calls from lawmakers and rights groups for an investigation into the use of funds allocated to the Safe School Initiative.
The month-long rescue operation involved the military, police, intelligence agencies, and local vigilante groups. The army stated that they identified those behind the abduction, dismantled their support network, and located their hideouts within the Old Oyo National Park forest, an area known to be used by criminal gangs and jihadist groups. The army indicated that further operations are planned.