Rescue operation ordered after abduction

Nigerian security forces have secured the unconditional release of children and their teachers abducted by Ansaru terrorists in Oyo State following a coordinated intelligence-led search and rescue operation ordered by President Bola Tinubu.

According to a statement issued on Friday, the operation was launched after the victims were abducted in Oyo State on May 15, 2026. The statement said the President directed security agencies to ensure the safe return of the children and their teachers, prompting the Chief of Defence Staff, in consultation with the Service Chiefs and heads of other security agencies, to constitute a Joint Inter-Agency Task Force.

The operation concluded on July 9, 2026, after an effort led by Defence Headquarters. Authorities said the rescue was carried out without conditions being attached to the release of the victims.

Agencies involved in the joint mission

The Defence Headquarters-directed Joint Inter-Agency Task Force comprised personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, Defence Intelligence Agency and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The statement said the task force also included elite personnel of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, the 2 Division Garrison of the Nigerian Army and a specialised tactical unit mobilised by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Overall coordination of the operation was handled by the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, according to the statement.

Forest offensive and intelligence support

According to the statement, troops advanced simultaneously from multiple axes into the Oyo National Forest, which was identified as the terrorists' main stronghold, in a three-week operation that steadily restricted the movement of the insurgents.

The ground offensive was supported by sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance assets provided by the Office of the National Security Adviser, as well as close air support from the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigeria Police Force.

The statement said the integrated operation enabled security forces to identify and destroy key terrorist communication facilities and logistics bases without endangering the abducted children and their teachers.

The integrated application of these capabilities permitted the precise identification of critical terrorist infrastructure. Precision engagements and ground actions resulted in the destruction of communication nodes and logistics caches while ensuring that the children and their teachers were not harmed,

— Statement issued on Friday

Pressure on support networks and outcome

The statement further disclosed that security agencies simultaneously targeted the terrorists' support network, arresting key associates, informants and other collaborators in communities bordering the forest.

It also revealed that family members of Ansaru operatives in different parts of the country were detained, a development the statement said led to widespread defections within the terrorist group.

According to the statement, the sustained pressure eventually forced the group to release the victims.

The cumulative effect of unrelenting military pressure, the systematic dismantling of their logistical and communication infrastructure, and the collapse of internal cohesion ultimately compelled the Ansaru group to release the abducted children and teachers without precondition.

— Statement issued on Friday

Medical support and official assessment

The rescued children and teachers are currently undergoing medical examinations and receiving initial psychosocial support before being handed over to the Oyo State Government for reunification with their families.

Senior military sources described the operation as a successful example of coordinated security action that combined force and intelligence measures.

a textbook example of intelligence-driven joint action,

— Senior military sources

The sources added that the seamless integration of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was instrumental in securing the victims' safe release while avoiding harm to them.