Army Chief Says Operation To Rescue Abducted Oyo Pupils Is Ongoing

The Nigerian Army says the operation to rescue 39 pupils and seven teachers abducted in Oyo State is still under way, nearly two months after the school attack.

Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, gave the update during an interactive session with media executives in Port Harcourt on Saturday, as part of activities for the 2026 Nigerian Army Day Celebration.

The victims were taken on May 15 from three schools in Orire Local Government Area. NaijaTrend had earlier reported here that the Oyo State Government denied claims that ransom had been paid for their release.

“Operations are currently ongoing to rescue those children abducted in Oyo State, and we are making tremendous progress,” Shaibu said.

He said he was confident the operation would end with the children and teachers being safely returned to their families. He did not announce a rescue date or give details of the security deployment around the operation.

Shaibu also reviewed military operations in other parts of the country. In the North-East, he said troops under Operation Hadin Kai had recorded gains against insurgents and terrorists, including the recent neutralisation of Islamic State commander Abu-Bilal al-Minuki in collaboration with United States partners.

The army chief said Operation Hadin Kai had neutralised more than 1,872 insurgents, while many other fighters had surrendered to troops. He linked the improvement in parts of Borno to the recent closure of the Internally Displaced Persons camp in Bama.

In the North-West, he said Operation Fansan Yamma had continued to target bandit groups and recover weapons. He also cited Operations Enduring Peace, Whirl Stroke and Savannah Shield in the North-Central region, saying the operations were active in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara, Niger and parts of Kogi.

Shaibu described the South-West as one of the country’s more peaceful regions, but said the Oyo school abduction remained the major recent security concern in the zone.

He added that the Federal Government had approved steps to strengthen military manpower through fresh recruitment, noting that the army would continue operations across the six geopolitical zones.

Source: Punch, Vanguard, Premium Times, Daily Post