How Army, DSS, Police Rescued 46 Abducted Oyo Pupils, Teachers
A coordinated operation by the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services (DSS) has secured the freedom of 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers who spent 54 days in captivity after being abducted in Oyo State.
The victims were rescued during a dawn raid on Friday at a forest hideout in Oriire Local Government Area, where they had been held since their abduction on May 15, 2026.
Security sources disclosed that the operation was intelligence-driven, with the DSS tracking the abductors’ movements for weeks through a combination of technical surveillance and human intelligence before identifying the exact location of the camp.
According to the sources, security operatives launched the assault after confirming that all the hostages were being held together.
“Once we confirmed the location and that the victims were still together, the Army and Police moved in to execute the raid,” a security source said.
The joint security team reportedly surrounded the camp at daybreak and engaged the kidnappers in a fierce gun battle. At least nine of the abductors were killed during the operation, while the troops successfully rescued all the remaining hostages without further casualties.
The rescued pupils and teachers are being transported to Ibadan, where they are expected to meet Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
The victims were abducted on May 15 when heavily armed men, suspected to be linked to a Boko Haram faction, invaded three schools in the Yawota and Ahoro-Esiele communities of Oriire Local Government Area.
The affected schools were Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele; Primary School, Esiele; and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.
During their captivity, Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher at Community High School, was reportedly beheaded by the kidnappers, deepening the tragedy surrounding the mass abduction.
Security authorities said mop-up operations are continuing to track down fleeing members of the criminal gang and dismantle their network.
The rescued children and teachers will undergo medical examinations and psychological counselling before being reunited with their families.
The successful operation has brought relief to residents of the affected communities, who had spent nearly two months hoping and praying for the safe return of the abducted pupils and teachers.
