There was widespread relief on Friday as pupils and teachers abducted from Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State regained their freedom after spending more than 50 days in captivity. The successful rescue was announced by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his official 𝕏 account.
According to Onanuga, the victims were rescued through the efforts of security forces, bringing an end to weeks of anxiety for their families and the affected communities. “Finally, the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo, have been freed by their abductors. The kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo, have been rescued by security forces,” Onanuga wrote.
He added that one of the rescued teachers expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and the security agencies for securing their release. The rescue marks a major breakthrough in efforts to combat kidnapping and insecurity in the state. In a related development, a joint security team comprising operatives of the Oyo State Police Command, the Amotekun Corps, local vigilantes and hunters also rescued a couple who had been abducted by suspected kidnappers in the Oke-Ogun area of the state.
The victims, Alhaji Busiru Booni and his wife, Alhaja Pitiku, were rescued unharmed after security operatives engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle at their forest hideout. The couple was reportedly kidnapped late on Saturday, July 5, when about five-armed men stormed Tiro Village in Irawo, firing several gunshots before whisking them away to an undisclosed location.
The Oyo State Police Command said the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, immediately ordered a coordinated search-and-rescue operation upon receiving reports of the abduction. The operation brought together police officers, Amotekun operatives, local vigilantes and hunters who leveraged their knowledge of the terrain to track down the kidnappers.
According to the police, the rescue mission recorded an early breakthrough after security operatives recovered a Bajaj motorcycle that had earlier been reported stolen and later abandoned in a nearby bush, providing a crucial lead that ultimately led to the victims’ safe rescue. The latest operations have been hailed as another significant success in the ongoing efforts by security agencies to tackle kidnapping and other violent crimes across Oyo State.
