Security Forces Rescue Abducted Oyo Pupils, Teachers as Eight Terrorists Are Killed, Eight Arrested

Relief swept across Oyo State on Friday as all the school pupils and teachers abducted in Orire Local Government Area regained their freedom following a coordinated security operation that also led to the killing of eight suspected terrorists and the arrest of eight others.

The successful rescue marked the end of weeks of uncertainty after the victims were kidnapped on May 15, 2026, by suspected Ansaru terrorists operating within the Oyo National Forest.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the development in a post on his verified X account.

"Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies," he stated.

According to military sources, the operation was an intelligence-driven Search and Rescue mission carried out under the directive of President Bola Tinubu following the abduction.

The Defence Headquarters subsequently constituted a Joint Inter-Agency Task Force (JIATF), bringing together personnel from the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and specialised units coordinated through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The operation, coordinated by the General Officer Commanding 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, involved a carefully planned multi-pronged advance into the Oyo National Forest, identified as the terrorists' major hideout.

Over a three-week period, troops advanced from multiple directions, gradually restricting the movement of the terrorists while sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, supported by air operations from the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigeria Police Force, enabled security forces to identify key terrorist positions.

Military authorities said precision strikes and coordinated ground assaults destroyed the terrorists' communication facilities and logistics bases without endangering the abducted pupils and teachers.

The sustained offensive also weakened the group's command structure and operational capability.

Simultaneously, security agencies launched targeted operations against the terrorists' support network, arresting key collaborators, informants and logistics suppliers in communities surrounding the forest. Family members of some Ansaru operatives were also detained in different parts of the country.

Security sources said the combined pressure triggered internal disarray within the terrorist group, leading to widespread defections among its members.

Unable to withstand the sustained military campaign, the terrorists eventually released the abducted pupils and teachers unconditionally on July 8, 2026.

The rescued victims have since undergone medical examinations and received initial psychosocial support before being handed over to the Oyo State Government for reunification with their families.

Senior military officials described the operation as a model of effective inter-agency collaboration, saying the combination of intelligence gathering, precision military action and coordinated law enforcement efforts ensured the safe recovery of the victims while significantly degrading the operational strength of the terrorist group.

The successful operation comes amid renewed calls for stronger security around schools and vulnerable communities to prevent future attacks and protect children, teachers and other residents from criminal violence.