OYO STATE, Nigeria — The Nigerian Air Force has intensified aerial surveillance and real-time intelligence gathering in Oyo State as security agencies widen a coordinated operation to rescue schoolchildren and staff abducted during a violent raid in the Oriire area.
The attack, which occurred on May 15, 2026, targeted three schools and left at least one assistant headmaster dead. Between 25 and 46 people, including school principal Mrs. Folawe Alamu and children as young as two years old, were taken by armed assailants. In a further escalation of brutality, one teacher was later reportedly killed.
According to security sources, surveillance aircraft have been deployed to track suspected movement routes through dense forest corridors believed to be used by the kidnappers. Ground troops from the army, police units, local vigilante groups, and the state-backed security network Amotekun Corps are coordinating with aerial units to locate and safely extract the victims.
Officials say the operation is complicated by the terrain, with forests reportedly laced with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), forcing troops to advance cautiously while relying heavily on aerial intelligence.
In the days following the abduction, disturbing videos emerged showing some of the captives pleading for help. Security officials believe the kidnappers are demanding the release of detained commanders linked to extremist networks, further raising the stakes of the ongoing negotiations and rescue efforts.
The federal government has also stepped up its response. President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of 1,000 forest guards to reinforce operations in vulnerable rural and forested areas across the region. The move is aimed at cutting off escape routes and improving ground presence in areas considered strongholds for armed groups.
Meanwhile, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has introduced new security restrictions, including a ban on nighttime motorcycle movement in affected communities, a measure authorities say is intended to disrupt mobility and limit criminal activity.
Security analysts note that the incident underscores the growing challenge of rural insecurity in parts of southwestern Nigeria, where kidnappings have increasingly targeted schools and remote settlements. The coordination between air reconnaissance and ground forces is being viewed as a critical test of Nigeria’s evolving counter-kidnapping strategy.
As search operations continue across forest belts in Oriire and surrounding areas, authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements. Officials insist that all available resources are being deployed to ensure the safe return of the abducted victims, though no timeline has been given for their rescue.
For now, the operation remains active and fluid, with security forces maintaining pressure on suspected routes while racing against time to locate those still in captivity.