Nigerian Forces Rescue 46 Students and Staff Abducted from Oyo State Schools

Nigerian security forces rescued 46 students and staff abducted from two primary schools and one secondary school in Oyo state on May 15. President Bola Tinubu announced the rescue on July 10, stating that agencies had freed the group after 56 days. He said he was “profoundly happy” about the outcome and thanked the armed forces, intelligence agencies and police.

Eight assailants were arrested and an unspecified number killed during the operation, Tinubu added. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said all students and teachers had been rescued and there “was no quid pro quo in the rescue”. The government has blamed the kidnappings on Boko Haram.

The victims ranged from age 2 to 16, and one teacher was killed shortly after the abduction. Defence Minister Christopher Musa said the assailants planned to use the hostages to pressure the government to release some of their commanders from prison. In the same week, dozens of children were kidnapped in Borno state.

Prior to the Oyo incident, most school kidnappings had occurred in northern Nigeria. In 2024 gunmen earned more than $1.6 million in ransom payments nationwide, according to SBM Intelligence.