President Bola Tinubu has declared that no ransom was paid and no concession was made to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted by suspected Ansaru terrorists in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, describing the successful rescue as a victory for the country’s security forces.
The President made the declaration on Friday in a statement posted on his verified X handle, hours after the victims were rescued alive following 56 days in captivity.
“Tonight, our nation has reason to give thanks. The children and teachers abducted by Ansaru terrorists in Oyo State have been rescued by our security forces, alive and unharmed. No ransom was paid. No concession was made,” Tinubu said.
The pupils and teachers were abducted on May 15, 2026, after armed men invaded Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Ahoro-Esinle, Yawota and Alawusa communities of Oriire Local Government Area.
About 39 pupils and seven teachers were taken away during the attack. One of the teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed while in captivity.
The President commended the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and other security operatives for what he described as a coordinated and professional rescue operation.
“I salute every officer and operative whose courage, discipline and professionalism made this possible,” he said.
According to a separate statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the rescue followed a coordinated military, police and intelligence-led operation that led to the arrest of eight suspected kidnappers, while several other members of the criminal group were neutralised.
Tinubu also acknowledged the cooperation of the Oyo State Government throughout the operation and directed relevant emergency and health agencies to work with the state government to provide medical attention, psychosocial support and other necessary assistance to the rescued pupils and teachers.
The President vowed that those responsible for the attack would be brought to justice, while assuring the family of the slain teacher that his administration would not allow his death to go unanswered.
“My government will get justice for these children and their teachers and for the family of Mr. Oyedokun, who the terrorists gruesomely murdered,” he stated.
Investigations revealed that the abductors, believed to be members of the Ansaru terrorist group, had demanded the release of two detained commanders, Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Abubakar Abba or Isah Adam, who are in the custody of the DSS. The Federal Government rejected the demand.
Warning criminal groups against further attacks, Tinubu reiterated his administration’s resolve to combat terrorism and other forms of insecurity across the country.
“To those who seek to spread fear through terror, know that the Nigerian state will pursue you relentlessly. We will protect our people, defend our communities and never relent until peace and security prevail across our country,” the President declared.
