The Nigerian military has released footage from the frontline showing the coordinated operation that led to the rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after more than 50 days in captivity.
The clip captures troops and other security operatives navigating difficult terrain during the intelligence-led operation that eventually secured the freedom of the victims without the payment of ransom.The rescue, announced on Friday, followed weeks of coordinated efforts by the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Amotekun Corps, local hunters and vigilantes.
According to the security report, troops advanced into the forest along multiple axes over three weeks, gradually constricting the terrorists’ movement and forcing them into a confined enclave.
The report claimed the operation led to the destruction of communication nodes and logistics caches used by the terrorists, and that all key landmarks within the operational area were eventually seized, degrading the group’s command structure without harm coming to the captives.
Security agencies also reportedly conducted parallel operations against the group’s support network, arresting alleged associates, informants and enablers in communities near the forest, as well as detaining family members of purported Ansaru operatives in other parts of the country. These measures, the report stated, triggered a wave of defections that saw most of the terrorists abandon their leader and the enclave.
The combined pressure from the military campaign, the disruption of the group’s logistics and communications, and the reported collapse of internal cohesion within the group culminated in the unconditional release of the children and teachers on July 8, according to sources, though the operation itself was said to have concluded on Thursday, July 9.
According to the Nigerian Army, the operation was carefully planned to dismantle the kidnappers’ network and rescue the victims alive.
“The operations, which lasted for more than a month, focused on identifying the terrorists’ kingpins, dismantling their networks and logistics links, including their informants and hideouts located within the Old Oyo National Park Forest,” the Army said.The Army disclosed that several suspects were arrested during the operation, while sustained pressure forced the kidnappers to release the pupils and teachers.The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said eight suspected kidnappers are now in DSS custody, while several others were neutralised.
“There was no quid pro quo in the rescue, as one of the terrorists, a kingpin whose release the kidnappers demanded, is being prosecuted for his atrocities,” Onanuga said.President Bola Tinubu also praised the security agencies for what he described as a successful operation, stressing that no ransom was paid and no concessions were made to the abductors.The rescued pupils and teachers are currently receiving medical attention before being reunited with their families.The pupils and their teachers were abducted in Oyo State on May 15, 2026, in an attack the statement attributed to the Ansaru terrorist group operating from the Oyo forest, which it described as the group’s principal sanctuary in the area.
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