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Rescue Hope Rises as Security Operatives Identify Oyo Kidnappers’ Network

Pressure is mounting on the abductors of dozens of schoolchildren and teachers from Ahoro-Esinle, Yawota and Alawusa communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State following a major intelligence breakthrough that has enabled security agencies to identify members of the kidnapping gang and trace some of their associates across the country.

Security sources said the latest development has unsettled the kidnappers, who are now under intense psychological pressure after discovering that operatives have established links to members of their support network. The breakthrough reportedly followed weeks of painstaking intelligence gathering coordinated by the Department of State Services, after which security operatives launched targeted operations to track the gang’s collaborators.

The development comes less than two weeks after security forces tightened the noose around the abductors by sealing off escape routes and intensifying surveillance around their suspected hideout in the Old Oyo National Park forest, where the victims are believed to be held. The coordinated operation involves the military, the DSS and other security agencies.

A security source said the kidnappers had become increasingly apprehensive as the operation progresses, expressing optimism that the sustained pressure could force them to release the captives.

The source added that a joint team of military personnel and DSS operatives was steadily closing in on the kidnappers’ location while efforts remained focused on securing the safe rescue of the hostages.

Also expressing optimism, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, said troops were making steady progress in the ongoing rescue mission and remained committed to ensuring the safe return of the abducted pupils and teachers.

The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, when gunmen launched coordinated attacks on schools in Ahoro-Esinle, Yawota and Alawusa communities. The attacks claimed the life of a teacher and left dozens of pupils and teachers in captivity, raising fresh concerns over the spread of mass school abductions into Nigeria’s South-West.

The abductors had earlier demanded the release of detained terrorist commanders, ransom, two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia-related conditions before freeing the captives. However, security sources said recent operational gains had forced the gang to reconsider some of its initial demands as pressure from security agencies continued to mount.

Governor Seyi Makinde had earlier disclosed that intelligence reports indicated the victims were still being held within the Old Oyo National Park, assuring families that security agencies were pursuing every credible lead to secure their release despite the difficult terrain.

Rescue Hope Rises as Security Operatives Identify Oyo Kidnappers’ Network