Pressure is mounting on the abductors of 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers kidnapped in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, following what security sources describe as a major intelligence breakthrough in the ongoing rescue operation.
According to the sources, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), working with the military, have identified members of the kidnapping gang and traced and arrested several of their associates in different parts of the country after weeks of intelligence gathering.
The development comes nearly two weeks after security forces reportedly blocked the kidnappers’ escape routes and surrounded their suspected hideout in the National Park forest, where the victims are believed to be held.
Security sources said the discovery has unsettled the abductors, who are now under mounting psychological pressure after realising that security agencies have identified and arrested some of their key associates
“The kidnappers are becoming increasingly apprehensive. Their confidence has been shaken, and they are now showing greater willingness to release the children,” a security source familiar with the operation said.
The sources added that a combined team of DSS operatives and military personnel is steadily closing in on the kidnappers’ location and remains optimistic that the hostages will be rescued safely.
The victims were abducted on 15 May 2026, when armed terrorists attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota and two other schools in Ahoro-Esinle and Alawusa communities in Oriire Local Government Area.
The kidnappers initially demanded the release of detained terrorist commanders, payment of ransom, two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia-related laws in exchange for the victims’ freedom.
They specifically sought the release of Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri, whom security agencies identified as senior members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), a breakaway faction of Boko Haram.
Both men were arrested by DSS operatives last year.
However, security sources said recent operational gains have forced the abductors to scale back some of their earlier demands and instead focus on finding an escape route while releasing the captives.
Meanwhile, the chief of army staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu has expressed confidence that troops are making significant progress in the rescue mission.
Speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Port Harcourt, Shaibu said the operation was advancing steadily.
“Operations are currently ongoing to rescue those children abducted in Oyo State, and we are making tremendous progress,” he said.
The army chief assured Nigerians that the military remained committed to rescuing the victims safely while continuing operations against security threats across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
He highlighted recent military successes, including the neutralisation of over 1,872 insurgents under Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East and the elimination of a high-profile Islamic State commander, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, in a joint operation with United States partners.
Shaibu also said ongoing operations under Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Whirlwind and the newly established Operation Savannah Shield have strengthened security across parts of the North-Central. In contrast, sustained operations in the South-East and South-South have improved security and boosted Nigeria’s oil production.
Describing the South-West as one of Nigeria’s most peaceful regions, the Army Chief said the Oyo school abduction was an isolated incident and assured residents that efforts to rescue the victims remained a top priority.
