July 12, (THEWILL) — The wild jubilation over the freedom of 44 pupils and teachers kidnapped by terrorists from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on 15 May 2026 took a strong political tone at the weekend when Governor Seyi Makinde linked the abduction to his ambition to contest the presidency in the 2027 General Election on the platform of the Allied Peoples Party, APM.
Speaking during a solidarity visit to his Bauchi counterpart, Bala Mohammed, at the Government House in Bauchi, Makinde said the kidnapping was unusual.
“For seven years, we did not witness anything like this in Oyo State,” Governor Makinde said, adding, “I declared to run for the president of Nigeria at 4:00, and by 9:00 a.m. the following morning, the children were abducted. We are still dealing with all of this. Yes, we may have to do more and we’re trying to do more,” he added.
He told journalists afterwards that the fallout of the development has once again underscored the importance of state police, with governors empowered to give instructions to security agencies.
“I cannot instruct the Commissioner of Police in the state. He will need to get approval from the Inspector-General of Police. I cannot instruct the state director of security. He will need to get clearance from the director-general of the DSS. The same applies to the military and other security agencies responsible for handling insecurity.”
Still pursuing the political angle in the Oyo abduction, he drew a parallel with a situation in the past during the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan, saying, “When Chibok happened, it was the fault of President Jonathan. They went all over the world asking Jonathan to bring back the children. But when this happened, they said it was the irresponsibility of the state governor and the state government.”
Governor Makinde, who disclosed that he was fully in the presidential race on the platform of APM, stated that if elected as president, he would ensure that governors have both the responsibility and the authority to protect their states.
“We need to look at our architecture and ensure that where you give responsibility, you also give authority to deal with those responsibilities. That is exactly what we will do if Nigerians entrust the APM with the presidency. We will ensure that responsibility and authority go together,” he said.
He further said that consultations are ongoing on selecting his running mate, adding that he is still within the stipulated timeframe.
“Let us wait until the names are uploaded to the INEC portal. It is part of the consultation. We still have enough time and the consultations will continue,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Army has disclosed that the abducted teachers and regained their freedom following an intelligence-led operation that lasted 56 days.
Acting Deputy Director, 2 Division Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Danjuma Danjuma, said the operation involved troops of the Nigerian Army led by the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Major-General Chinedu Nnebeife.
The soldiers worked alongside operatives of other security agencies, the Amotekun Corps, local vigilantes and hunters.
“Following an intelligence-led, carefully planned and executed operation on 10 July 2026, troops of the Nigerian Army, led by the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Major-General C.R. Nnebeife, in collaboration with special units from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), specifically the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Defence Headquarters with Special Forces elements from the Nigerian Army, Navy, the Air Force and the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other security agencies, as well as local vigilantes, hunters and Amotekun, in a well-coordinated operation rescued a total of 44 pupils and teachers kidnapped by terrorists from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on 15 May 2026.”
He added that, “As part of the operations, multiple arrests were made within Oyo State and in other locations across some states in the country.
“These arrests completely disorganised the group, exerted overwhelming pressure on them and ultimately led the terrorist group to unconditionally release the pupils and teachers. Further operations are to be conducted,” it stated.
Also, a former operative of the Department of State Services, Seyi Adetayo, said a novelty in intelligence gathering by security operatives hastened the release of the abducted pupils without meeting any demand of the abductors, including payment of ransom.
Speaking during an interview on national television on Friday, Adetayo said, security agencies used the relatives and associates of the terrorists as bargaining chips and bait to weaken the resolve of the terrorists.
“They identified the kidnappers’ mothers, wives, children, and close associates. They arrested them, recorded videos and sent them to the abductors, he said, adding that, “ the operatives cut off the abductors’ supply lines and escape routes, while combining coercive measures with negotiations to secure the victims’ freedom. The operations, which lasted for more than a month, focused on identifying the terrorist kingpins that masterminded the kidnapping, busting and dismantling their networks and logistics links, including their informants and hideouts located within the Old Oyo National Park Forest, Oyo State.”
An elated President Bola Tinubu announced the successful rescue on Friday, commending the military, the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force for carrying out what he described as a coordinated, intelligence-driven operation that secured the victims’ release without collateral damage.
The President also disclosed that eight of the abductors were arrested during the operation, while several others were neutralised.
His Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu expressed profound relief over the outcome of the operation and praised the security agencies for their persistence throughout the 56-day rescue mission.
“I am profoundly happy that our security forces successfully rescued the abducted pupils and teachers from Oriire, Ogbomoso in Oyo State today after a military, police and intelligence-driven operation that neutralised some of the terrorists that perpetrated the evil act and the arrest of eight of them.
“This successful military operation has ended the siege and standoff of over 50 days and has brought relief to the entire nation and the affected families in particular. On behalf of the country, I express my gratitude to the officers and men of our armed forces, the intelligence agencies and the police for the safe rescue of the children and their teachers”, the President said.
President Tinubu vowed that those responsible for the attack would face justice, including those linked to the killing of a teacher, Mr Oyedokun, who was murdered during the incident.
“My government will get justice for these children and their teachers and for the family of Mr Oyedokun, who the terrorists gruesomely murdered”, he added.
The President also commended the Oyo State Government for collaborating with the Federal Government and security agencies throughout the rescue efforts, urging the state to strengthen security around schools to prevent similar attacks.
In addition, Tinubu directed relevant emergency response agencies to work with the Oyo State Government to provide the rescued pupils and teachers with immediate medical care, trauma counselling and other relief support to aid their recovery.
Earlier on Friday, Onanuga had announced the development in a post on his verified X account, stating: “Finally, the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo have been freed by their abductors.”
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