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Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has assured that his administration has taken full responsibility for the welfare of the teachers and pupils rescued after spending 56 days in the captivity of the kidnappers, promising comprehensive medical, psychological and educational support until they fully recover.
The governor made the commitment on Monday during the official handover of the victims rescued by the Nigerian military to the Oyo State Government at the Government House in Ibadan.
Makinde said the state would ensure that such traumatic experiences do not disrupt the education of the affected students or the careers of the teachers, adding that immediate intervention would be coordinated with the management of the affected schools.
Governor Bola Tinubu expressed his appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the state security agencies for their coordinated efforts that resulted in a successful rescue operation. The governor described the results as a big help to the state.
He said, “On behalf of the government and the good people of Oyo State, I wish to express my sincere thanks to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the support rendered to ensure the success of this operation. I also appreciate the leadership of all security agencies in Nigeria.
“To be honest, I am still overwhelmed because incidents like this happen in different parts of the country, but when it happened in Oyo State, the response was different. All security agencies worked together with one goal—to ensure the safe return of teachers and students.
“I can only thank Almighty God for His mercy upon our country. I have been governor for over seven years, and this is the first time I have witnessed an incident like this. This has never happened before, and I sincerely pray this will be the last time we experience something like this.
“To the teachers and students, I know this will be a long road to recovery. What you experienced during those 56 days cannot simply be erased. However, I want to assure you that although the Baptist school involved is not a government-owned school, we will work closely with its management to determine the best way forward.
“Let me assure the teachers and students at the school that the Oyo State Government will do everything possible to ensure there is no disruption to your careers as teachers and no disruption to the education of the affected students. We will continue to support you during this recovery period.
“The Chief Medical Director has updated me on the progress his team is making. They still need to do some more assessments, and I believe another 24 to 48 hours of medical observation will be sufficient before you are discharged.
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“Parents will be allowed access to their children, but we want to make sure that everyone is medically healthy before they are reunited with their families. We don’t want any complications after everything you’ve been through. We want to make sure that you are healthy and that adequate support is available to help you through this difficult transition when you return home.
“So, on behalf of the people of Oyo State, we are now officially responsible for the rescued teachers and students. We will provide all necessary help and support to help you make a full recovery.”
Earlier, the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, attributed the success of the operation to continued collaboration among security agencies and guidance received from state leaders.
According to him, “Security forces pursued the kidnappers from the first day, but the kidnappers had moved deep into the forest,”** and added that **“the operation, which resulted in the loss of personnel, came to fruition after 56 days.”
Speaking to journalists after the ceremony, the Principal of Oriire Community High School, Mrs Rachael Alamu recounted the traumatic experiences the victims endured while being held hostage.
He revealed that one of the murdered teachers, Mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, was killed by kidnappers to intimidate security agencies and pressure the government.
“The reason the kidnappers killed one of the teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was to scare the security agencies and send a clear message to the government that they meant business,” he said.
Alamu also recounted the difficult journey the victims were forced to undertake immediately after their abduction.
“When we were taken, my car was used to take us to a certain point. That’s where we met the elementary school students and their teacher. We then had to walk for about an hour. They brought bicycles and motorbikes—about 10 people—and we all squeezed together. We drove for about four hours along uncharted paths, but they knew the way,” he recalled.
The principal admitted that returning to his job in the countryside after the ordeal was not easy.
He said, “Going to a rural area requires God’s grace. I have worked for 28 years and still have four more years to go. With time, maybe I can forget it. But that far, the distance between that place and Ogbomoso is long, so I sacrificed a lot in terms of transportation. Now, coupled with this, I don’t know what will happen this time.”
The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, when armed bandits stormed three schools in Yawota and Ahoro-Esienle communities in Oriire Local Government Area, taking dozens of pupils and teachers with them.
After weeks of intelligence-driven coordinated operations by security agencies, the captives were rescued on July 10 and then placed under medical observation before being officially transferred to the Oyo State Government.
The handover ceremony was attended by Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal, Police Commissioner Abimbola Olugbenga, leaders of military and paramilitary formations, Director of the Department of State Services, senior government officials, members of the State Executive Council, and Chief Medical Director of Division 2 of Medical and Hospital Services, among other officials.
