On May 15, 2026, tragedy struck the Orire community in Oyo State.
The irony was clear. Orire means good fortune in Yoruba, but that day brought only despair. Armed kidnappers took 46 people, 39 pupils and seven teachers. To show they meant business, they beheaded one victim.
Weeks later, the remaining victims were freed. We should be grateful for their rescue. Security personnel and everyone who helped bring them home deserve praise. For their families, this marks the end of a terrifying ordeal.
The military said it took over a month of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and coordinated work between agencies to break up the kidnappers’ network before the victims were released without conditions. That level of professionalism should be recognized.
But while the rescue ends one chapter, it also raises tough questions we cannot ignore.
