Security operatives have successfully freed the teachers and students who were abducted from the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, according to a July 10, 2026 announcement by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Onanuga confirmed the rescue operation and emphasized that the federal government made no concessions or compromises with the terrorists to secure their release.

The mass abduction took place nearly two months prior, on May 15, 2026, when gunmen raided three separate educational institutions in the Esiele and Yawota areas: L.A. Primary School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and Community Grammar School. The bandits seized 39 pupils and seven teachers, including a school principal.

Tragically, the crisis resulted in the deaths of two educators. One teacher, Joel Adesiyan, was fatally shot while attempting to flee during the initial ambush. Another teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was later decapitated by the captors during their stay in the forest.

While the kidnappers had put forward heavy terms for the victims’ release—including a monetary ransom, two Hilux operational trucks, the freeing of their jailed leaders, and the implementation of Sharia-related laws—the Oyo State Government firmly maintained its policy against paying ransoms.

The prolonged, 56-day captivity sparked widespread public indignation and led the Nigeria Union of Teachers to stage a month-long strike across Oyo State, which they suspended just weeks prior to the rescue. The joint pressure eventually led to a decisive military and police intervention that brought the remaining hostages back safely.