The pupils and teachers abducted from three schools in Oyo state’s Oriire local government area are expected to be reunited with their families on Monday, after spending 56 days in captivity and undergoing two days of medical observation following their rescue.
The victims, freed on Friday in an intelligence-led military operation, have been receiving medical treatment and psychological support at the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division Medical Services headquarters in Ibadan. Their anticipated transfer to the Oyo state government is expected to mark the beginning of a longer process of rehabilitation and reintegration.
Governor Seyi Makinde, who visited the victims over the weekend, said the authorities had prioritised their physical and emotional recovery before arranging their return home.
“Our plan right now is to watch them over the next 48 hours,” Makinde said. “By Monday, we think an assessment will be done, and there will hopefully be a formal transfer from the military to the state.”
The governor revealed that many of the rescued children had repeatedly asked to see their parents, prompting officials to begin making arrangements for family visits even before the formal handover.
“There is a little girl who has been asking, ‘Where’s my mum?’ We want her mother to come and see her,” he said.
Across Ogbomoso on Sunday, churches held thanksgiving services as families prepared for what many hoped would be an emotional reunion after nearly two months of uncertainty.
One widely shared video showed Prof Wole Alamu dancing during a church service in celebration of the rescue of his wife, Rachael Alamu, the principal of Ahoro Esinle School, who was among those abducted.
The victims were seized on 15 May when heavily armed gunmen attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, L.A. Primary School and Community Grammar School in Oriire, triggering one of the most disturbing school kidnappings in south-west Nigeria in recent years.
Although the military’s rescue operation has been widely praised, uncertainty remained on Sunday over the exact timing of the formal handover.
Oyo state’s commissioner for information, Dotun Oyelade, said the government was prepared to begin supporting the victims as soon as military authorities completed the transfer.
“We are hopeful the military will formally hand them over tomorrow,” the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said, while acknowledging that operational considerations could still affect the schedule.
The successful rescue has also reignited concerns about security across the largely rural Oriire district, where traditional rulers say the kidnapping exposed longstanding weaknesses in policing.
The Elerepamo of Pamo, Oba Ayobami Ogunmakinde, appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Inspector General of Police Olatunji Disu to upgrade the community’s police post into a full divisional headquarters.
“We have about 740 villages, yet only one police division serves this vast area,” the monarch said. “The police post in Pamo has officers without rifles. Some patrol carrying only sticks.”
He said many parents remained reluctant to send their children back to school despite the rescue, reflecting persistent fears that another attack could occur.
“Since the kidnapping, some children have not returned to school because their parents no longer feel safe,” he said.
The Elesinele of Esinle, Oba Tajudeen Abioye, also urged the federal government to strengthen security across rural communities, while calling on residents to report suspicious movements to security agencies.
The Oyo state government said it was ready to work with the federal authorities to improve security around the Old Oyo National Park, whose vast forests have increasingly been linked to criminal activity.
Oyelade said the state was willing to invest in infrastructure and surveillance around the park, arguing that protecting the area would both improve security and unlock its tourism potential.
The rescue operation has drawn praise from political leaders, religious organisations and civil society groups.
The Christian Association of Nigeria described the release of the pupils and teachers as “a day of profound gratitude” but urged the government to intensify efforts to secure the freedom of thousands of Nigerians still being held by kidnappers and insurgents.
“Today, parents in Oriire will hold their children again,” the association said. “But there are mothers and fathers elsewhere in Nigeria who are still waiting for news that their own children are coming home.”
The Yoruba Council of Elders similarly commended the coordinated efforts of the military, intelligence agencies, police, Amotekun corps, local hunters and vigilantes, saying the operation demonstrated the value of cooperation in tackling insecurity.
Even as families prepare for long-awaited reunions, community leaders insist that lasting relief will depend not only on successful rescue missions but on preventing similar attacks from happening again.
