By Adeola Badru
Following a month-long intelligence-led offensive that dismantled the operational backbone of the terrorist syndicate behind the Oyo school abduction through the disruption of its leadership, logistics network, informants and forest hideouts, the kidnappers finally succumbed to sustained pressure from Nigerian security forces, and unconditionally released the 44 abducted pupils and teachers.
Read Also: Oyo students, teachers rescue: How security agents weakened terrorists
The breakthrough followed a carefully coordinated multi-agency operation led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) through the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Defence Headquarters, Special Forces from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), as well as local vigilantes, hunters and members of the Amotekun Corps.
The victims had been kidnapped by terrorists from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, 2026, prompting what security authorities described as an extensive intelligence-driven operation designed not only to secure their freedom but to dismantle the criminal network responsible for the abduction.
