The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, has revealed that the successful rescue of pupils, teachers, and the principal abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State came after a 56-day intelligence-led operation involving multiple security agencies.
Speaking during the formal handover of the rescued victims to the Oyo State Government, Nnebeife disclosed that troops launched an immediate search after the abduction on May 15, 2026. However, the kidnappers had already moved deep into a dense forest, making aerial surveillance difficult despite the deployment of drones and Nigerian Air Force aircraft.
He explained that the rescue mission came at a heavy cost, as the military lost an officer and a soldier, while several personnel sustained injuries.
According to the GOC, the operation later expanded into a nationwide security effort involving the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Operation Safe Haven, Amotekun, local vigilantes, and hunters.
Nnebeife stressed that security forces refused to negotiate with the kidnappers, choosing instead to dismantle their network by identifying key leaders, arresting collaborators, and disrupting their logistics chain. He said blocking the group’s major supply route eventually forced the abductors to release the victims without conditions.
The Army commander disclosed that the victims regained their freedom on July 10, adding that two teachers were killed while in captivity.
He paid tribute to the fallen soldiers, noting that the rescued victims were recovered on the same day the military buried the officer who lost his life during the operation.
Major General Nnebeife commended President Bola Tinubu for providing strategic support throughout the operation and praised Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde for maintaining close communication with security agencies despite public criticism suggesting otherwise.
He also acknowledged the contributions of security agencies, intelligence officers, medical personnel, local security volunteers, and members of the public whose information assisted the operation.
The GOC urged Nigerians to continue providing credible intelligence, while warning that investigations had uncovered the involvement of some collaborators among local vigilantes and hunters.
He emphasized that the operation against criminal groups in the area is ongoing, insisting that security forces remain determined to eliminate terrorist networks operating in the region.
