File: Oriire students and teachers rescued.
By Adeola Badru
For 56 agonising days, the people of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State measured time differently. The passing of each day was not marked by work, school or the ordinary rhythm of rural life, but by unanswered prayers and anxious anticipation. Parents woke every morning hoping for news of children who had disappeared into captivity.
Nights brought little comfort, only another round of questions about whether the abducted pupils and their teachers were alive, safe or even coming home. When the announcement finally came that the victims had been rescued, celebrations erupted across the community, and, indeed, Nigeria
Yet beyond the jubilation lies a more profound story, one that raises uncomfortable questions about Nigeria’s security architecture, the protection of schools, the welfare of frontline troops and the resilience of communities determined not to surrender to fear.
