PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria: The Nigerian Army is conducting operations to secure the release of 39 pupils and seven teachers abducted in Oyo State, following their capture on May 15, 2026.
Okay News reports that Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, announced the military’s ongoing efforts during an interactive session with media executives on July 4, 2026.
“Operations are currently ongoing to rescue those children abducted in Oyo State, and we are making tremendous progress,” Shaibu said.
The victims were taken from three schools in the Orire Local Government Area, while broader national operations, including Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East, recently neutralized 1,872 insurgents and Islamic State commander Abu Bilal al-Minuki alongside United States partners.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, approved a new army training depot in Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State, supporting the recruitment of 28,000 personnel, with 14,000 soldiers already graduated from depots in Zaria, Kaduna State, Osogbo, Osun State, and Amasiri-Edda.
New recruits undergo 11 months of military training, and the military recently acquired armored personnel carriers, mine-resistant vehicles, and unmanned aerial vehicles to support field operations.
