Nigeria frees 44 kidnapped Oriire schoolchildren and teachers

On 15 May 2026 armed gunmen abducted pupils and teachers from three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria. The raid seized 39 pupils and six to seven teachers; one teacher was killed during the attack. After 56 days of intensive intelligence gathering and coordinated operations by the Nigerian Army, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Counter‑Terrorism Centre, the police, the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Amotekun operatives, local vigilantes and hunters, the hostages were rescued on 10 July 2026. Eight suspected kidnappers were arrested and several others were neutralised; a few security personnel were also reported injured. President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde praised the joint effort, while political figures such as APC chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, presidential candidates Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar issued reactions. The rescued victims were taken to a military hospital for treatment before being reunited with their families. The operation is being presented as a model of intelligence‑led, inter‑agency cooperation against kidnapping in Nigeria.