President Tinubu Deploys Specialized Teams to Rescue Abducted Students

The Nigerian government is intensifying operations to rescue at least 82 pupils and several teachers abducted in coordinated attacks across Oyo and Borno states between May 13 and 15, 2026. In Borno, 42 children were taken from schools in Askira Uba and Chibok, while gunmen in Oyo's Oriire Local Government Area abducted 40 pupils and seven teachers from three schools, including Baptist Nursery and Primary School. The Oyo attacks resulted in three deaths, including a teacher, a motorcyclist, and a security operative. The crisis escalated further after kidnappers released a video showing the beheading of a captured teacher, Michael Oyedokun.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the deployment of a specialized rescue team and the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to secure vulnerable areas. The effort involves the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Police Force, with intelligence support from the United States. Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command debunked viral social media reports claiming 49 victims had already been rescued, labeling the claims as false and misleading.

The abductions have sparked political tension and public outcry. Activist Sunday Igboho alleged that politicians are sponsoring the kidnappings to make the country ungovernable, while Pastor David Ibiyeomie questioned why security agencies fail to track kidnappers despite possessing surveillance technology. The Oyo State House of Assembly rejected calls to negotiate ransoms, arguing that payments would embolden terrorists. In Abuja, the Take-It-Back Movement led protests against the government's failure to address insecurity, resulting in restricted access to the Presidential Villa.