Governor Seyi Makinde has officially received the teachers and pupils abducted from Ahoro Esienle and Yawota schools in Oriire Local Government Area, following their rescue by the Nigerian Army.
The handover took place on Monday at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan—56 days after the victims were kidnapped by armed terrorists.
During the ceremony, Governor Makinde praised the rescue as an extraordinary achievement made possible by the collaboration of the Federal Government, Nigerian Army, and other security agencies. He assured the victims that the Oyo State Government would support them throughout their recovery.
Governor Makinde expressed deep gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s security chiefs for their unwavering support during the rescue operation. He noted that, although kidnappings have occurred elsewhere in Nigeria, the response to the Oriire incident was unprecedented in its scale and urgency.
“People from across Nigeria and around the world united in calling for the safe return of our teachers and pupils. I can only thank Almighty God for His grace upon Oyo State,” Makinde said.
He described the incident as the first of its kind during his tenure and expressed hope that such a tragedy would never happen again. Addressing the rescued victims, Makinde acknowledged the severe psychological trauma they endured during their 56-day captivity, assuring them that they would not face their recovery alone.
While noting that the affected Baptist school is privately owned, Makinde pledged the state’s commitment to working with school management to ensure the teachers’ careers and pupils’ education continue uninterrupted. He also announced that the victims would receive ongoing medical care and psychosocial support under the supervision of former UCH Chief Medical Director, Temitope Alonge. They will only be reunited with their families once cleared by medical experts.
“The Oyo State Government will do everything within its power to ensure there is no disruption to the careers of the teachers and no interruption to the education of the pupils,” Makinde promised.
Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, General Officer Commanding 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, described the rescue as the result of painstaking, intelligence-driven operations and close inter-agency collaboration. He disclosed that some local vigilantes and hunters had allegedly aided the kidnappers and said a thorough review would be conducted to prevent a recurrence.
He explained that the victims’ remote forest location made aerial extraction impossible, requiring carefully coordinated ground operations. He paid tribute to the bravery of those who lost their lives during the mission and thanked President Tinubu, Governor Makinde, and various security agencies for their support.
In an emotional address, the school principal recounted the “torturous and horrendous” ordeal faced by the victims. She revealed that teachers and pupils were subjected to severe physical abuse, with male victims blindfolded and repeatedly beaten, and children who cried assaulted as well. The principal disclosed that the abductors beheaded the school’s mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, and murdered another teacher, John Olaleye, to pressure the government to meet their demands.
These revelations highlighted both the brutality endured by the victims and the immense risks faced by security forces during the weeks-long rescue operation.
The Oriire school abduction sparked national outrage and widespread calls for the safe return of the victims. The Nigerian Army, with the support of other security agencies, ultimately secured their freedom through coordinated operations across the Old Oyo National Park and surrounding forests.
