Fresh details have emerged on the operation that led to the rescue of dozens of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, with security sources revealing that the arrest of relatives of the kidnappers played a crucial role in securing the victims’ freedom.
Thirty-nine pupils and seven teachers were seized by terrorists on May 15 from the communities of Ahoro-Esinle, Yawota and Alawusa in Oriire Local Government Area. Although one teacher died in captivity, the remaining hostages were rescued on July 10 during a joint operation involving the military and the Department of State Services (DSS).
According to multiple security sources, weeks of intelligence gathering and sustained military pressure eventually led operatives to the wives and children of several members of the kidnapping gang. The relatives were reportedly tracked down in different parts of the country and taken into custody as security forces tightened their grip around the terrorists’ hideout in the National Park forest.
Sources said the operation was coordinated by senior DSS officials after troops had sealed off the abductors’ escape routes. The detained family members were later moved to Abuja, where investigators questioned the suspects’ wives as part of ongoing inquiries.
Investigators believe the arrests marked a turning point in the standoff. Security sources disclosed that recordings from the interrogations somehow reached the kidnappers, prompting a noticeable change in their attitude during negotiations.
“The kidnappers became more willing to communicate and abandoned their earlier position,” one source said, adding that the group subsequently proposed swapping the hostages for the release of their wives and guarantees of safe passage.
However, security agencies rejected the offer, insisting that the captives must first be freed and that the suspects either surrender or face arrest during military operations.
As discussions continued, troops intensified pressure on the terrorists’ hideout. According to officials familiar with the operation, the final order to storm the camp was issued after intelligence reports suggested that the abductors were no longer using the schoolchildren and teachers as human shields.
The subsequent assault, backed by coordinated firepower, reportedly caught the terrorists off guard. Security sources said repeated clashes in the weeks leading up to the operation had already weakened the group and depleted its ammunition supplies, reducing resistance during the rescue mission.
Several terrorists were killed during the operation, while eight suspects were arrested. Although members of the rescue team suffered casualties, all surviving hostages were brought out safely.
Sources further disclosed that the decision to prioritise military action over prolonged negotiations was influenced by lessons from the abduction of retired Major General Abubakar Rabbe in Katsina State, who later died in captivity.
The kidnappers had initially demanded ransom payments, vehicles, the release of detained terrorist leaders and the implementation of Sharia-related laws. Security officials said ongoing investigations would determine whether any relatives of the suspects played active roles in the crimes, while innocent family members would be released in accordance with the law.
