Nigeria: Police Deny Claim On Rescue of Abducted Oyo Schoolchildren, Teachers

The Oyo State Police Command has dismissed a claim circulating on social media that the schoolchildren and teachers abducted from Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State had been rescued.

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES on phone on Thursday, the state Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Olayinka Ayanlade, described the claim as false.

"It is unfounded, it is untrue, and it is false," Mr Ayanlade said.

The claim circulated widely through a now deleted Facebook post attributed to Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Economic Affairs. The post alleged that all abducted pupils and teachers had been freed in a joint security operation involving the military, police and forest rangers.

"In a major victory for security forces and a huge relief for families across Nigeria, all 42 students and 7 teachers abducted from schools in Oyo State's Oriire Local Government Area on May 15 have been safely rescued in a daring joint operation early this morning," part of the post read.

The post further claimed that the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) which earlier embarked on an indefinite strike on 1 June had also called off its strike following the purported rescue of the victims.

However, in a statement issued by the Oyo State Police Command spokesperson, Mr Ayanlade, stated that while efforts to rescue the victims are still ongoing, there has been no such development of "successful rescue," urging the members of the public to disregard the report in its entirety."

"Security operatives are working tirelessly, deploying all available human and operational resources to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers, their unharmed reunification with their families, and the apprehension and prosecution of all those responsible for the heinous act," the statement read.

Mr Ayanlade did not provide further details but maintained that the claim of a successful rescue operation was inaccurate.

The abduction of the victims occurred on 15 May when armed men attacked schools in Oriire Local Government Area near Ogbomoso and kidnapped about 39 pupils and 7 teachers.

The incident triggered widespread outrage across Oyo State and renewed concerns about the safety of schools and learning environments. As of Wednesday, the victims had spent about 19 days in captivity, with families, education stakeholders and residents anxiously awaiting their release.

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