56 days in captivity: How the Oyo abduction unfolded
July 10, 2026 6:25 pm
Rescued pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oriire, Oyo State, after regaining their freedom following a 56-day captivity. Photo: X/@aonanuga1956
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday announced that all the pupils and teachers kidnapped in Oriire, Oyo State, had been rescued by security agencies, ending a 56-day ordeal that gripped the nation.
Onanuga disclosed this in a post on his X handle, saying, “Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies.”
He later revealed that eight suspected kidnappers were arrested during the operation and are currently in the custody of the Department of State Services, while several others were neutralised.
He also dismissed reports that the victims were freed through a prisoner exchange, stating that there was “no quid pro quo” because one of the terrorist kingpins whose release had been demanded by the kidnappers remains on trial for alleged terrorism-related offences.
The announcement caps months of denials, protests and false alarms since gunmen stormed three schools in the area on May 15, abducting 46 pupils, students and teachers.
Here is how the 56-day saga unfolded.
May 15: The attack
Armed men numbering in the dozens, some dressed in military fatigues and riding motorcycles, stormed three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, near Ogbomoso — Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School.
