Residents of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday erupted in celebration as the teacher and 39 pupils abducted from three schools in the area on May 15 regained their freedom after 56 days in captivity.
A video trending online captured scenes of jubilant passersby as the released pupils and teachers arrived while appreciating the efforts of the armed forces.
The victims, made up of 39 pupils and seven teachers, including the school principal, Mrs Alamu Folawe, were released following a coordinated operation by the military, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the development in a post on his social media handles on Friday.
“Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State, have been rescued by our security agencies,” Onanuga wrote.
He disclosed that eight suspected members of the kidnapping gang were arrested during the rescue operation and were currently in DSS custody, while several others were neutralised.
Onanuga said the release was secured without any negotiation or concession to the abductors, noting that a gang leader whose freedom had been demanded by the kidnappers remained in custody and was being prosecuted.
President Tinubu, in a statement issued through Onanuga, described the outcome as a major relief for the victims, their families and the nation, and commended the military, DSS and police for what he called their tireless efforts.
He, however, expressed regret over the trauma endured by the children, their teachers and their families throughout the ordeal, and pledged justice for the family of Michael Oyedokun, the mathematics teacher killed in captivity.
Governor Seyi Makinde also reacted to the development, describing the release as a huge relief for the state.
“It is such a big relief for all of us. Right now, I am overjoyed and can hardly say much,” Makinde said.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, in a statement, said the state government remained committed to its policy of rejecting ransom payments throughout the crisis.
The pupils and teachers were abducted on May 15 when gunmen stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School in the Yawota and Ahoro-Esiele communities of Oriire Local Government Area.
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