Parents await reunion with rescued Oyo schoolchildren at LAUTECH

Parents and relatives anxiously awaited reunions at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Tuesday. Their loved ones, including 39 pupils and seven teachers, were brought to the facility for medical evaluations and psychological support after their release from captivity.

The group was abducted on May 15, 2026, when gunmen, believed to be members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), attacked three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area. The schools targeted were Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; L.A. Primary School; and Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esiele. The attackers seized pupils and staff from these institutions.

Following a coordinated security operation involving the military, police, and intelligence agencies, the victims were safely released on Friday, July 10, 2026. The Presidency reported that the operation resulted in the elimination of some terrorists involved in the abduction and the arrest of eight others. Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde officially welcomed the rescued individuals on Monday, expressing significant relief for the state after weeks of uncertainty regarding their safety.