The kidnappers of the teachers and students from Orire, Oyo State, have released them.
After being held captive for more than 50 days, the development occurs.
The president’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, announced their release in a post on X on Friday.
“The abductors of the students and teachers in Orire, Oyo, have finally released them,” Onanuga wrote.
He revealed that eight abduction gang members were apprehended during the rescue effort and are currently being held by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Onanuga noted that a notorious gang boss whose release had been wanted by the kidnappers is still in custody and is being tried for his alleged crimes, adding that the rescue operation did not entail any trade or concession to the kidnappers.
“Security agencies will soon provide a full account of the operation,” he continued.
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“In the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised.
“There was no quid pro quo in the rescue, as one of the terrorists, a kingpin whose release was demanded by the kidnappers, is being prosecuted for his atrocities. The security agencies will give a full account soon,” he added.
Just last week, after being held captive for more than two months after an attack on a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) crusade in Eda Oniyo-Ekiti, Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Ekiti State, fourteen believers were rescued.
The development was highlighted in a study by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency and security expert covering the Lake Chad region.
The victims were freed on Friday, July 3, 2026, after midnight, according to the article. Since then, they have been sent to a hospital where they are being evaluated and given medical care after their trauma.
Makama reported that one of the 15 worshippers abducted during the attack died while in captivity, while the remaining victims were released in what was described as critical physical and emotional condition.
