The Presidency has confirmed the release of all pupils and teachers abducted by terrorists from three schools in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced on Friday that the victims were rescued by security agencies after weeks in captivity.
The victims were kidnapped on May 15, 2026, when armed men riding motorcycles and dressed in military fatigues attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Esiele, and L.A. Primary School in Ahoro-Esiele, all in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The attackers fired gunshots to create panic before abducting dozens of pupils, including toddlers as young as two years old, along with at least seven teachers. They reportedly took the victims into the forests around Old Oyo National Park.
The incident triggered widespread outrage, forced the closure of schools in the affected communities, and prompted an indefinite strike by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State. Security agencies, supported by the Nigerian Army, Amotekun Corps, and local hunters, subsequently launched coordinated rescue operations.
Although the Presidency confirmed that all the victims have regained their freedom, further details of the rescue operation were not immediately disclosed.
