Eight suspected kidnappers have been arrested following the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oyo State. Security operatives also killed several other suspects during the operation, according to the Presidency.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the development in a post on his verified X account on Friday. He said officers from the Department of State Services (DSS) now have the arrested suspects in custody.
Presidency rules out prisoner exchange
Onanuga said security agencies did not negotiate with the kidnappers or grant any concession to secure the victims’ release.
According to him, one of the terrorist kingpins whose release the kidnappers demanded remains on trial for offences linked to terrorism.
“In the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised.”
He added:
“There was no quid pro quo in the rescue as one of the terrorists, a kingpin, that the kidnappers demanded his release, is being prosecuted for his atrocities. The security agencies will give full account soon.”
Victims spent weeks in captivity
The pupils and teachers regained their freedom after spending 56 days in captivity. Gunmen abducted them on May 15 after attacking three schools in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Orire Local Government Area.
The attackers killed one teacher during the raid. They later released a video showing the beheading of another teacher, a development that sparked widespread outrage across the country.
What happens next?
Security agencies are expected to provide a detailed account of the rescue operation in the coming days. Meanwhile, investigators will continue questioning the arrested suspects as efforts intensify to identify and apprehend other members of the kidnapping network.
