Oyo State Rescues All Kidnapped School Pupils and Teachers

On May 15, 2026, a joint security team made up of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police, and the Department of State Services (DSS) successfully rescued all kidnapped school pupils and teachers in Oyo State. The operation, which lasted nearly two months, resulted in the neutralization of at least nine bandits.

The victims were abducted by armed bandits reportedly linked to a faction of Boko Haram, who had taken 39 pupils and seven teachers from three schools in the Oriir Local Government Area. Among the kidnapped was Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher at Community High School in Ahoro, who was later beheaded by the bandits.

The rescue operation took place early on a Friday morning, and the victims were subsequently brought to meet Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.