Nigeria military frees 44 abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo state

Nigerian military units freed all 44 pupils and teachers abducted from three schools in Oyo state, ending 56 days in captivity and sending the survivors to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.

The victims had been taken on May 15 from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, LA Primary School and Community Grammar School, where children as young as two were among those seized. One teacher was killed shortly after the abduction, and families spent weeks waiting for news of relatives who had been shown in videos released by the kidnappers.

The head of the local teachers’ union said after the release: “I feel happy and elated… I feel joy.” President Bola Tinubu said he was “profoundly happy” about the rescue and thanked the security agencies. His spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said the victims were freed through the efforts of security agencies and that there was “no quid pro quo” in the operation.

The mission was intelligence-led and lasted about a month, involving military units, police officers, intelligence agencies and local vigilante groups. The Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Amotekun Corps and hunters also took part. The army said eight assailants were arrested, an unspecified number were killed and Nigerian forces suffered casualties during the rescue.

Mass kidnappings are more common in northern Nigeria. Teachers in Oyo later launched an open-ended strike in protest, while the Nigeria Union of Teachers called for stronger implementation of the Safe School Initiative, introduced more than a decade ago after the Chibok abductions.

SBM Intelligence data put kidnappers’ ransom earnings at more than $1.6 million in 2024. Defence Minister Christopher Musa said the captors wanted the hostages as leverage to win the release of imprisoned commanders.