Rescued Nigerian Students Recover After Two Months in Captivity

Oyo pupils receive medical care after being freed from Islamic militants

More than 40 students and teachers abducted by Islamic militants in Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo State have been rescued and are receiving medical treatment after spending nearly two months in captivity.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde visited the victims at a military hospital on Saturday, where he confirmed that the students were recovering but still required medical and psychological support following their ordeal.

Survivors receive treatment after rescue

Governor Makinde said the students were relieved to regain their freedom but remained physically weak after their time in captivity.

“They were happy to be out of captivity,” he said, adding that some victims were still frail and needed medical intervention to address trauma-related challenges.

The governor also said arrangements were being made for families to visit the rescued students, including a young child who had been asking for her mother.

Military operation ends kidnapping crisis

The Nigerian military confirmed that security forces rescued the students and teachers through a coordinated operation involving intelligence agencies, police and local vigilante groups.

The operation lasted more than a month and targeted militant networks and hideouts linked to the abduction.

The army said some security personnel suffered casualties during the rescue mission but did not provide further details.

The kidnappers had reportedly held the students as leverage against the Nigerian government, according to Defence Minister Christopher Musa.

Attack shocks southwestern Nigeria

The kidnapping in Oyo caused widespread concern because southwestern Nigeria has traditionally been considered one of the country’s safer regions.

Most previous large-scale school kidnappings have occurred in northern Nigeria, where jihadist groups and armed gangs have carried out repeated attacks.

The Oyo incident raised fears that insecurity was spreading beyond traditional conflict areas.

The state capital, Ibadan, is one of Nigeria’s major education centres, making the attack especially alarming for residents and officials.

Militants linked to Ansaru

Authorities blamed the kidnapping on Ansaru, a Boko Haram splinter group known to operate in parts of Nigeria.

The attack was carried out in Oyo’s Oriire local government area, where students from three schools were taken hostage.

Security forces later carried out operations against the group’s wider networks, destroying several hideouts and making arrests that weakened the militants’ ability to continue holding the victims.

Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges

School kidnappings remain a major security challenge in Nigeria, with armed groups targeting students to demand ransom payments or pressure authorities.

One of the most infamous cases occurred in 2014, when Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in northeastern Nigeria.

Recent years have seen renewed international concern over mass kidnappings, including attacks involving students in Kebbi, Niger and Borno states.

The rescue of the Oyo students brings relief to families, but officials say continued security efforts are needed to prevent future attacks.