Pressure Mounts on Abductors of Oyo Schoolchildren as Security Forces Close In
Pressure is mounting on the abductors of schoolchildren and teachers from Ahoro-Esinle, Yawota and Alawusa communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, following a major breakthrough by security agencies that have reportedly identified and traced the kidnappers’ associates.
The development comes barely two weeks after security forces blocked escape routes and surrounded a suspected hideout in the National Park forest, where the victims are believed to be held.
Security sources said operatives, acting on credible intelligence from the Department of State Services, DSS, identified members of the kidnapping gang and have launched operations to trace their associates in different parts of the country.
The discovery has unsettled the abductors, who are now said to be under intense psychological pressure after realizing that security agencies know the whereabouts of their key associates.
“The kidnappers are becoming increasingly apprehensive. Their confidence has been shaken, and they are now showing greater willingness to release the children,” a security source familiar with the operation said.
The sources added that a combined team of DSS operatives and military personnel is closing in on the abductors’ location and is optimistic that the standoff will end with the safe rescue of the hostages.
*The abduction*
Armed terrorists abducted 39 pupils and seven teachers on May 15, 2026, during coordinated attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota and two other schools in Esinle.
The kidnappers initially demanded the release of detained terrorist commanders, payment of ransom, two Hilux vehicles, and the implementation of Sharia-related laws as conditions for freeing the victims.
They specifically demanded the release of Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri. Security agencies identified both men as senior members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fi Biladis Sudan, Ansaru, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram. The two were arrested by DSS operatives last year.
Security sources said recent gains by the rescue team have forced the abductors to abandon some of their earlier demands and shift focus to finding a way to escape while releasing the captives.
*Army confirms progress*
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, on Saturday in Port Harcourt said troops are making significant progress in the rescue operation.
“Operations are currently ongoing to rescue those children abducted in Oyo State, and we are making tremendous progress,” Shaibu told journalists.
The Army Chief expressed confidence that the operation would end with the safe rescue of the victims, and said the Nigerian Army remains engaged in combating security threats across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Highlighting recent successes, Shaibu said troops under Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East had neutralized more than 1,872 insurgents, while many others had surrendered.
He said troops, working with U.S. partners, recently eliminated high-profile Islamic State commander Abu-Bilal al-Minuki.
Shaibu added that Operations Enduring Freedom, Whirlwind and the newly established Savannah Shield have recorded successes in the North-Central, improving security in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara, Niger and parts of Kogi states.
He said security has also improved in the South-East, while sustained operations against crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism have boosted oil production in the South-South.
Shaibu described the South-West as one of the country’s most peaceful regions, and said the Oyo school abduction was an isolated incident.
He also disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the establishment of a new Nigerian Army Depot in Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State. The depot, alongside existing ones in Zaria, Kaduna State, and Osogbo, Osun State, is expected to increase the Army’s annual recruitment and training capacity to about 28,000 personnel.
The Army Chief said the Nigerian Army has acquired additional armored personnel carriers, mine-resistant vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles to strengthen operations. Troops, he added, continue to receive specialized training in Nigeria and abroad to enhance operational effectiveness.