*President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, expresses profound joy at the successful rescue of the children and teachers from Oriire community, in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, by the security forces, commending the Oyo State Government for their cooperation while charging the authorities to ensure adequate security around schools across the state going forward
Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect
Scores of teachers and school pupils, whom kidnappers abducted from their schools in Oriire community, in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, South-West Nigeria, since May 2026, have regained their freedom and peace 56 days after.
Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disclosed this development in a statement Friday, July 10, 2026, in Abuja, FCT.
Following the release of the kidnap victims Friday, Onanuga stated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, expressed profound joy at the successful rescue of the children and teachers from Oriire community, in Ogbomoso.
Official: Security operatives arrest 8 kidnappers, neutralise others
The statement also noted President Tinubu lauded the heroic efforts of the security agencies, especially the Nigerian Military, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Police, for working round the clock in the last 56 days to secure the release of the abducted children and their teachers without any collateral damage, and for arresting eight of the abductors, while neutralising others during the rescue process.
The Presidential media aide further said that Tinubu regretted the anguish that the teachers, the children, as well as members of their families and the entire country have experienced since the sad occurrence almost two months back.
For cooperating with the Federal Government in all rescue efforts, the Nigerian leaders equally commended the Oyo State Government, and charged it to ensure adequate security around schools across the state going forward.
President Tinubu declared: “I am profoundly happy that our security forces successfully rescued the abducted pupils and teachers from Orire, Ogbomoso, in Oyo State, today (Friday) after a Military, Police and intelligence-driven operation that neutralised some of the terrorists that perpetrated the evil act and the arrest of eight of them.
“This successful Military operation has ended the siege and standoff of over 50 days and has brought relief to the entire nation and the affected families in particular.”
Tinubu also said: “On behalf of the country, I express my gratitude to the Officers and Men of our Armed Forces, the intelligence agencies, and the Police for the safe rescue of the children and their teachers.
“My government will get justice for these children and their teachers and for the family of Mr. Oyedokun, who the terrorists gruesomely murdered.
“I must commend the government of Oyo State for working cooperatively with us in bringing this unfortunate incident to a successful end.”
It’s a rescue operation without collateral damage and ‘quid pro quo’, says Presidency
In an update on the rescue efforts, Mr. Onanuga in a message post on his verified X account also affirmed that “in the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested, and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised.”
He wrote: “There was no quid pro quo (something in exchange) in the rescue as one of the terrorists, a kingpin, that the kidnappers demanded his release, is being prosecuted for his atrocities.:
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy assured Nigerians that the security agencies would give full account of the rescue operation soon.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has also directed that the emergency agencies work with the Oyo State Government to provide all necessary medical and relief support to the children and the teachers, Onanuga noted in the statement.
In a clear show of appreciation of the rescue efforts by the Nigerian security operatives, one of the rescued teachers and some pupils, in a viral video online, reportedly sent “a thank you message” to President Tinubu and the security agencies.