Watch—how armed security forces free Oyo schoolchildren, teachers
Abdullateef Fowewe
Video footage from the July 10 rescue operation in Tede, Oyo State, shows armed security personnel in tactical gear and military vehicles escorting dozens of freed hostages — including children and adults — as they are gathered outdoors and loaded into transport vehicles.
The clip, authenticated by GPS overlays confirming the Oyo location, documents scenes from an intelligence-led, multi‑agency campaign that culminated in the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted on May 15 from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
Some rescued victims are seen sitting on the ground several shirtless while officers with Nigerian flags on their uniforms manage the scene.
Rural elements such as boats and open forest landscapes are visible, underscoring the difficult terrain troops negotiated during the operation.
Security sources say the coordinated effort, which involved the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Amotekun Corps, local hunters and vigilantes, lasted several weeks.
Troops reportedly advanced along multiple axes into the Old Oyo National Park and surrounding forest, constricting the kidnappers’ movements over a three‑week period.
The Presidency has claimed that the operation neutralised some kidnappers and led to the arrest of eight suspects.
Security reports claim the campaign destroyed communication nodes and logistics caches used by the group, and that parallel actions against the group’s support network produced arrests of alleged associates and informants across nearby communities.
Those measures, officials say, triggered defections among the militants and degraded their command structure.
The Army described the mission as an intelligence‑driven attempt to identify the terrorists’ kingpins, dismantle networks and seize key hideouts.
Officials emphasised that no ransom was paid and that the captives were recovered alive.
Sources indicated the unconditional release of the children and teachers occurred on July 10, while the operational phase concluded shortly thereafter.
Rescued pupils and teachers are receiving medical attention and are being prepared for reunification with their families.
The army said investigations and follow‑up operations continue to dismantle remaining cells and to secure the area.
The May 15 abduction, attributed by security agencies to elements of the Ansaru group operating from forest enclaves in Oyo, had drawn national attention and prompted weeks of intensified intelligence and kinetic operations.
The newly released footage provides a first visual record of the final field phase of that campaign and has been circulated by officials to corroborate their account of the rescue.
