Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, on Monday, declared that terrorists and kidnappers would not be allowed to derail the education of children or destroy the careers of teachers in the state, as he pledged full government support for pupils and teachers rescued after spending 56 days in captivity in Oriire Local Government Area.
The governor gave the assurance while officially receiving the rescued victims, promising that the state government would ensure the pupils returned to school and the teachers resumed their duties without suffering any academic or career setbacks.
Makinde also announced that his administration would work with the management of the affected Baptist school to provide the support needed for the victims’ rehabilitation, despite the school being privately owned.
“The Oyo State Government will do everything possible to ensure there is no disruption to your careers as teachers and no interruption to the education of the affected pupils. We will continue to support you throughout this recovery period,” the governor said.
He added: “Although the Baptist school involved is not a government-owned school, we will engage with its management to determine the best way forward.”
Describing the rescue as a product of unprecedented collaboration among security agencies, Makinde said the operation demonstrated the gains of coordinated intelligence and joint action.
“Incidents like this have happened in different parts of the country, but when it happened in Oyo State, the response was different. All the security agencies worked together with one goal—to secure the safe return of the teachers and the pupils,” he stated.
The governor thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the operation and commended the military, intelligence agencies, police, Amotekun Corps, local hunters and other security operatives for their sacrifices and professionalism throughout the mission.
He disclosed that the rescued victims would remain under medical observation for another 24 to 48 hours before reuniting with their families.
“We now officially take responsibility for the rescued teachers and pupils. We will provide every necessary assistance and support to help you recover fully,” Makinde assured.
Providing insight into the operation, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major-General Chinedu Nnebeife, declared that the Armed Forces would never negotiate or make concessions to terrorists, stressing that the mission went beyond rescuing the captives to dismantling the criminal syndicate behind the abduction.
“As I have consistently maintained, we will never yield to the demands of terrorists. We will not, and we never will,” he declared.
According to the GOC, the rescue mission later transformed into a nationwide intelligence-led operation spanning Oyo, Adamawa, Kano and other states, as security agencies tracked the kidnappers’ kingpins, logistics channels and informants.
“Our primary objective was to identify the terrorist kingpins responsible for masterminding the crime, dismantle their network, and cut off their logistics and informant structures within Oyo National Park and beyond,” he said.
Nnebeife revealed that security forces eventually disrupted the terrorists’ logistics base, piling pressure on the criminal group until they agreed to release the captives without conditions.
“That action placed enormous pressure on the terrorists, leading them to indicate their willingness to release the captives unconditionally.
“However, our objective extended beyond securing the release of the victims. We remain committed to eliminating terrorist operations in that region and, indeed, across the country.”
The Army commander disclosed that the operation claimed the lives of one officer and one soldier, while another soldier sustained serious injuries.
“On the very day we buried the fallen officer in Adamawa State, we successfully rescued the victims later that evening. We salute the ultimate sacrifice made by our personnel. Their courage and bravery will never be forgotten.”
He also disclosed that President Tinubu maintained close supervision of the operation by requesting daily updates from field commanders.
“The President personally requested daily updates, asking those coordinating the mission to report directly on developments from the field,” he said.
Nnebeife further commended Governor Makinde for remaining actively engaged throughout the rescue operation.
“From the very first day of this incident, he remained in regular contact, seeking updates and asking about our progress. Contrary to some media reports suggesting otherwise, I can personally confirm that he consistently followed developments and demonstrated genuine concern.”
The GOC, however, disclosed that preliminary investigations pointed to collaboration by a few local residents with the kidnappers, calling for stronger community intelligence.
“We need to carefully review the activities of some local vigilantes and hunters because our investigations indicate that there was collaboration by a small number of individuals with the criminal elements,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the rescued victims, the school’s principal, Mrs. Racheal Alamu, narrated the harrowing ordeal endured by the teachers and pupils during their 56 days in captivity.
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She said they survived prolonged exposure to harsh weather, hunger and repeated night-time movements through the forest as the kidnappers constantly changed locations to evade security operatives.
“It was not easy. We were in the forest, in the open, most of the time under the sun and under the rain, with the children. But we kept going because there was no way out. We knew it was God that could only help us,” she said.
According to her, the captives were often forced to trek for hours at night whenever the abductors suspected security forces were closing in.
“When the place was discovered, we had to move. That usually started around seven or eight at night, and sometimes we walked for three or four hours. Most of the bruises you see on our bodies came from those movements.”
Alamu disclosed that although she escaped physical assault, some of the younger children were repeatedly beaten for crying, while the male captives remained blindfolded, handcuffed and chained during much of the ordeal.
Reflecting on the experience, the veteran teacher admitted that returning to another remote rural posting would require courage and divine help.
“I have worked for 28 years. Perhaps with time I will get over it, but going that far into a rural area again will take the grace of God,” she said.
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