The Presidency on Friday confirmed that all the teachers and pupils abducted by terrorists in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have regained their freedom, bringing to a close one of the most disturbing school kidnapping incidents in Nigeria this year.
The announcement was made by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed via his official X account that the victims were rescued through coordinated operations by Nigeria’s security agencies.
The abduction, which occurred on May 15, 2026, plunged Oyo State into mourning after heavily armed men riding motorcycles and dressed in military camouflage invaded three schools in Oriire Local Government Area. The attackers stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Esiele, and L.A. Primary School in Ahoro-Esiele.
Witnesses said the gunmen fired sporadically to terrorise residents before rounding up dozens of pupils and their teachers in broad daylight. Among those kidnapped were children as young as two years old and at least seven teachers, in an attack that exposed the growing insecurity facing schools in Nigeria’s South-West.
The terrorists reportedly marched their captives into the thick forests surrounding the Old Oyo National Park, an area increasingly associated with criminal gangs and armed kidnappers. The attack forced schools to shut their gates, displaced frightened families and deepened fears over the safety of children in the region.
The incident triggered widespread outrage across the country. Parents vowed not to return their children to school until adequate security measures were put in place, while the Nigerian Union of Teachers declared an indefinite strike in protest, demanding immediate government intervention to secure the victims’ release.
In response, security forces, including the Nigerian Army, the Amotekun Corps and local hunters, launched sustained rescue operations, reportedly engaging the kidnappers in fierce gun battles during the search for the abducted victims.
The kidnapping also sparked nationwide condemnation, with civil society organisations, activists and prominent Nigerians staging protests and calling for urgent action to rescue the captives and strengthen security around schools.
Sharing news of the rescue, Onanuga also posted a video of one of the freed teachers expressing gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and the security agencies for securing their freedom.
ChroniclesReporters had closely followed the abduction and the nationwide calls for the safe return of the pupils and teachers.
While the Presidency confirmed that all the victims have been freed, authorities are yet to disclose full details of the operation, including whether arrests were made or whether any ransom was paid.
The successful rescue has brought relief to affected families and communities, but it has also renewed calls for stronger security architecture to protect schools and prevent a recurrence of attacks on innocent children and educators across the country.