By Kingsley Omonobi
The military on Saturday said that multiple arrests in Oyo State and other parts of the country, disrupting the activities of the group that kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo, forced it to release the captives unconditionally.
The victims were kidnapped on May 15, 2026, and were rescued on July 10 following what the military described as an intelligence-led, carefully coordinated operation involving multiple security and intelligence agencies.
The operation was led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Major General C.R. Nnebeife, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser through the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Defence Headquarters, Special Forces of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Amotekun, local vigilantes and hunters.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 2 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Danjuma, the military said the operation focused on dismantling the kidnappers’ network and logistics chain within the Old Oyo National Park and other locations.
