In a major breakthrough that has brought relief to families across Nigeria, the pupils and teachers abducted from the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have officially regained their freedom.
The victims had been held by bandits for over 50 days following a coordinated assault on local schools.
The news of the successful release was confirmed on Friday, July 10, 2026, by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. Taking to his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Onanuga broke the silence with an announcement:
”Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies.”
While the presidency attributed the freedom of the Oyo pupils and teachers to a strategic security operation, official statements have yet to disclose the exact circumstances surrounding the rescue, the current physical condition of the victims, or whether a ransom was paid to secure their release.
The crisis began on May 15, 2026, when heavily armed gunmen on motorcycles stormed three schools in the Ahoro-Esinle and Yawota communities during school hours.
The attackers targeted:
Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota
Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle
L.A. Primary School, Ahoro-Esinle
The assailants fled into the forest with dozens of hostages, including children as young as two years old, sparking nationwide outrage and severe anxiety across the South-West region. The situation grew increasingly tense in late May and June as a barrage of online misinformation and false rescue claims circulated, forcing the Oyo State Government and local police commands to repeatedly urge patience while security forces intensified tracking operations.
