Oyo kidnapped pupils and teachers freed after more than 50 days in captivity

One of the teachers freed after 56 days in captivity, Zacchaeus Olatunde, has alleged that the kidnappers voluntarily released him and other hostages before security forces arrived to escort them home.    Olatunde made the revelation during a telephone interview with Nigeria Info FM on Friday, while recounting the ordeal of teachers and pupils abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State in May 2026.    The captives were kept blindfolded throughout their detention in what they believed was a forest, with no clear sense of their location. “We didn’t even know if we were in Nigeria or another country,” Olatunde said. He added that the abductors identified themselves as members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), not Boko Haram, and communicated in Hausa, Nupe, English, and Yoruba.     Despite harsh conditions, including being denied baths or clean clothes for the entire period and initial restrictions on praying the kidnappers fed them twice daily with rice, beans, onions, margarine, and salt. After about a month, they allowed limited prayers but forbade mentioning Jesus or praying aloud.     Olatunde described their sudden release: The kidnappers’ commander informed them they were free, after which the group was directed out of the camp. He was the last to leave due to a broken handcuff key. The commander later guided him at gunpoint to the correct route when he got disoriented.     The freed hostages trekked for about an hour before motorcycles arranged by the kidnappers transported them closer to a village. They continued on foot until they encountered government representatives. Initially fearful of the rescuers who spoke Hausa and arrived in buses without number plates and with Arabic inscriptions the captives demanded identity verification.     Olatunde also shared acts of compassion during the journey, such as carrying a young girl and helping others cross rivers. He noted that medication given by the kidnappers for his arthritis surprisingly improved his condition.     The abduction involved armed men attacking multiple schools in Oriire, resulting in the deaths of some captives during the ordeal. Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde welcomed the survivors on July 10 and called for a UN-backed investigation into the incident while promising medical and psychosocial support.     Olatunde said he had not yet received any personal financial support from authorities but called for assistance to his school.    

Barely days after security forces secured the release of the 39 pupils and seven teachers abducted from Oriire, Oyo State, another school came under attack. The post After Orire, Kogi operation: 529 kidnapped schoolchildren, worshipers, farmers, others remain in captivity appeared first on Vanguard News.

…IGP Disu Mourns Slain Sergeant, Hails Team for Successful Rescue By Kingsley Omonobi Operatives of the Police Special Intervention Squad (SIS) and the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have said they approached the rescue of the 44 abducted pupils and teachers of Oriire schools in Oyo State with the determination to save them because they regarded […] The post Oyo School Rescue: We treated abducted pupils as our own children – IRT, SIS operatives appeared first on Vanguard News.

 A former Assistant Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mohammed Ngoshe, has detailed the high-pressure tactics used by security forces that compelled kidnappers in Oyo State to release abducted pupils and teachers after 56 days in captivity. Ngoshe, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, credited the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies for the successful rescue operation in Oriire Local Government Area. He urged Nigerians to commend the security operatives rather than criticise the handling of the operation. According to him, security forces successfully isolated the kidnappers’ hideout, cut off their supply lines, and dismantled their network of informants.“There was a congregation of security forces, and positions were taken after the location was isolated. And the whole community around that place was dominated,” Ngoshe explained. He added that the kidnappers were denied access to food, weapons, and external support. Informants were arrested and turned into assets, while videos of the tightening security cordon were shown to the abductors.“Videos of all these operations were ferried to them, and they saw that they had no option but to surrender,” he stated. Faced with overwhelming pressure and no lifeline from negotiations, the kidnappers eventually released the pupils and teachers to avoid total annihilation. Security forces then engaged the remaining criminals after the hostages were freed. Ngoshe noted that three security personnel from the police, army, and other services lost their lives after stepping on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the final push to encircle the kidnappers. The former DSS chief dismissed calls for more transparency on the operation at this stage, emphasising that the priority remains celebrating the safe return of the victims.The abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire had sparked widespread concern across Nigeria, prompting a coordinated multi-agency response that ultimately secured their unconditional release without ransom. 

Emotional reunion in Oyo as abducted pupils and teachers return home after 56 days. Parents express joy and gratitude for the safe return of their children Read More: https://punchng.com/tears-joy-as-abducted-oyo-pupils-reunite-with-parents/

The General Officer Commanding, GOC 2 Division, Nigerian Army Headquarters, Major General Chinedu Nnebeufe, has handed over the rescued teachers and pupils to the Oyo State Government.   The rescued victims were officially handed over to Governor Seyi Makinde at the state Secretariat on Monday.   The victims, who were abducted on May 15, were rescued from the kidnapper’s den on July 12 after over 50 days in captivity.   They have been receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital since they were rescued.   Governor Seyi Makinde had lauded the security operatives and President Bola Tinubu for their resilience in the rescue operation.   Watch video