Oyo kidnap rescue: Five security personnel, four civilians killed — DSS DG

IBADAN — Nine people, including five security personnel and four civilians, were killed during an operation to rescue pupils and teachers abducted by suspected members of an international terrorist organisation in Oyo State, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi, has disclosed.

Ajayi made the disclosure while speaking on the operation in an interview published by Premium Times, providing fresh details about the security operation that eventually led to the rescue of the Oyo kidnap victims.

The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, after suspected terrorists invaded schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Following the abduction, security agencies launched an intelligence-led operation to locate the victims and track down the perpetrators.

Ajayi said security operatives immediately pursued the kidnappers after receiving credible intelligence about the incident.

He disclosed that a vigilante member and a police officer were killed during the initial pursuit, while additional casualties occurred when security forces subsequently raided the kidnappers’ hideout.

“Immediately after the incident happened, based on credible intelligence, troops chased them immediately, and sadly, a vigilante and a policeman were killed. During the second raid, more were killed, making a total of nine fatalities, four civilians and five security personnel,” Ajayi said.

The DSS director-general described the operation as particularly challenging because of the presence of very young children among the abducted victims.

According to him, one of the hostages was a two-and-a-half-year-old child, making it necessary for security agencies to carefully weigh the risks of launching a direct assault on the kidnappers’ location.

“It was a complex operation involving a two-and-a-half-year-old infant who could not run much if we invaded the place,” Ajayi said.

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The security agencies subsequently succeeded in rescuing the abducted pupils and teachers after weeks of sustained intelligence and operational efforts.

The Nigerian Army had earlier said the rescue operation involved several security and intelligence agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Police Force, DSS, National Intelligence Agency and National Counter-Terrorism Centre, alongside local security groups.

The operation also involved local vigilantes, hunters and members of the Amotekun Corps who provided intelligence and assistance in navigating the difficult terrain where the victims were being held.

The abducted pupils and teachers were eventually released after spending 56 days in captivity.

The rescue attracted widespread attention because of reports that the kidnappers had demanded the release of detained members of their organisation in exchange for the victims.

Security authorities, however, maintained that the government did not grant the reported demand and that the victims were recovered through sustained pressure on the criminal network.

The operation also resulted in the arrest of several suspected members of the kidnapping group.

The Presidency previously said eight suspected members of the group were arrested and handed over to the DSS for investigation and prosecution.

Ajayi, while discussing the operation, also raised concerns over the spread of misinformation and deepfake videos on social media during the period the victims were being held.

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He said videos showing children allegedly being tortured and injured were circulated online and falsely presented as footage from the Oyo kidnapping.

According to the DSS chief, some of the videos were actually old footage from another country and had no connection with the incident in Oyo State.

“As expected, the rescue operation attracted a lot of social media disinformation. You have to sieve the information there,” Ajayi said.

He further alleged that some of the videos circulated during the crisis had been manipulated or misrepresented to create the impression that the abducted children were being subjected to brutal treatment.

“While that incident lasted, they were posting deepfake videos of children beaten with lacerations on their bodies. They were actually footage from a particular country on witchcraft-related incidents passed off as real-time crude events here,” he said.

Ajayi urged media organisations to strengthen their verification processes when reporting sensitive security and kidnapping incidents, particularly where unverified videos and social media claims are involved.

He said journalists had a responsibility to separate verified information from false narratives and avoid amplifying material that could create unnecessary panic or distress for victims’ families.

“Recall the victims recounted how well-treated they were by the criminals. So, one of the things I’d like you to do in the media is fact-finding and separating facts from fiction,” the DSS director-general said.

Ajayi also provided further information about the group accused of carrying out the Oyo school abduction, describing it as an international terrorist organisation with links to Al-Qaeda.

He said the DSS had previously arrested some of the organisation’s leaders and that their detention had helped prevent other planned high-profile attacks.

According to him, some of the detained leaders were allegedly connected with the Abuja-Kaduna train attack and were planning further abductions involving foreigners, students, women and children.

“Citizens ought to know that the incarcerated leaders of the kidnap group who were requested in exchange for the victims were arrested last year by the Service; their arrest helped to prevent high-profile attacks,” Ajayi said.

He added that the suspects were allegedly found complicit in the Abuja-Kaduna train attack and had been planning additional mass kidnappings.

Ajayi also alleged that the organisation sought recognition as a state and wanted freedom to practise its religion within a designated territory.

He disclosed that the organisation’s alleged kingpins and three other collaborators had been sentenced to life imprisonment, while the DSS would seek stiffer punishment.

“The kingpins are the ones now sentenced to life imprisonment. The three other collaborators earned life imprisonment, and the Service will push for a stiffer penalty,” he said.

The Oyo kidnapping has renewed concerns over the expansion of organised kidnapping and terrorist activities into parts of the South-West.

The incident was particularly significant because large-scale school abductions have historically been more closely associated with parts of northern Nigeria, while Oyo and neighbouring states have generally experienced different forms of insecurity.

The successful rescue also underscored the importance of intelligence gathering and cooperation among Nigeria’s security agencies in hostage situations.

The nine deaths disclosed by the DSS DG, however, highlight the risks involved in kidnap rescue operations, particularly when security forces are attempting to recover children and other vulnerable victims from armed groups.

The DSS has continued to emphasise the importance of intelligence-led operations, inter-agency cooperation and accurate information in tackling terrorism and kidnapping.

The agency has also warned that the spread of fake videos, fabricated reports and other forms of online misinformation can complicate security operations and cause additional trauma to victims and their families.

For the families of the rescued pupils and teachers, the eventual release of the victims brought an end to more than seven weeks of uncertainty.

But the latest revelation about the casualties recorded during the operation provides a fuller picture of the dangers faced by civilians and security personnel in the fight against kidnapping and terrorism in Nigeria.

Oyo kidnap rescue: Five security personnel, four civilians killed — DSS DG