Odita Sunday 
Joint Security Forces Rescue Abducted Children, Teachers from Ansaru Terrorists After Weeks-Long Oyo Forest Operation
By Odita Sunday
A coordinated security operation ordered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has secured the unconditional release of children and their teachers abducted by Ansaru terrorists in Oyo State, following an intelligence-led search and rescue mission that dismantled the terrorists’ stronghold deep inside the Oyo National Forest.
The operation involved the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force, with support from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The rescue mission was launched in response to the abduction of the children on May 15, 2026, after President Tinubu directed security agencies to ensure their safe return.
Acting on the presidential mandate, the Chief of Defence Staff, in consultation with the Service Chiefs and heads of other security agencies, constituted a Joint Inter-Agency Task Force comprising elite personnel of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, the 2 Division Garrison of the Nigerian Army and a specialised tactical unit mobilised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). Overall coordination of the operation was assigned to the General Officer Commanding 2 Division.
The task force subsequently launched a carefully coordinated offensive into the Oyo National Forest, identified as the principal sanctuary of the Ansaru terrorists. Troops advanced simultaneously from multiple directions over a three-week period, gradually restricting the terrorists’ movement and forcing them into a confined enclave.
The ground offensive was supported by persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets provided by ONSA, while the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigeria Police Force delivered close air support that enabled the precise identification and engagement of key terrorist positions.
The operation led to the destruction of the terrorists’ communication infrastructure and logistics caches, while troops ensured that the abducted children and their teachers were not harmed during the engagements. The seizure of strategic locations within the operational area further weakened the group’s command structure and operational capabilities.
In parallel operations, security agencies dismantled the terrorists’ support network by arresting key associates, informants and enablers in communities surrounding the forest. Family members of Ansaru operatives living in different parts of the country were also detained, triggering internal divisions and widespread defections within the terrorist group.
Military sources said the sustained military pressure, combined with the collapse of the group’s logistics, communications and internal cohesion, ultimately compelled the terrorists to release the abducted children and teachers unconditionally on July 8, 2026.
The rescued victims have since been handed over to the Oyo State Government after undergoing comprehensive medical examinations and receiving initial psychosocial support before being reunited with their families.
Senior military sources described the mission as a textbook example of intelligence-driven joint security operations, saying the seamless integration of kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities was instrumental in securing the victims’ safe release while degrading the operational capacity of the Ansaru terrorist group.
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