President Bola Tinubu has revealed that the Federal Government refused to negotiate with or pay ransom to the gunmen who abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, insisting that the victims were rescued through an intelligence-led military operation.
The President made the disclosure on Thursday while receiving a delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Tinubu said the abductors demanded both a ransom payment and the release of some of their detained gang members, but the Federal Government rejected the conditions.
“We refuse to negotiate for ransom. These criminals wanted us to release from detention members of their criminal gangs that were already arrested. That was one of their conditions, outside of the money they were looking for.
“And we said no deal. We are not going to negotiate with criminals,” the President said.
According to Tinubu, the successful rescue operation was made possible by the military’s knowledge of the terrain and effective intelligence gathering.
He commended the Armed Forces for their role in securing the release of the victims after 56 days in captivity, describing their performance as commendable.
“I think we succeeded with your support and prayers. I agree that we should commend the men and women of the armed forces for their excellent performance,” he added.
The President also disclosed that his administration’s decision to expand the Nigerian Army from eight divisions to 12 divisions was influenced by lessons learned from the Oriire school abduction.
He explained that the expansion would improve the military’s operational reach, reduce response times and strengthen efforts to combat terrorism and banditry across the country.
“You’ve seen that from eight divisions, we are now moving to 12 divisions, to shorten the response time, to give that response time the teeth that is needed for us to defeat terrorism and banditry,” Tinubu said.
The President reiterated his support for the creation of state police, noting that the proposed system would include safeguards to prevent abuse.
He also announced plans to retrain and strengthen the country’s forest guards, saying they would no longer focus solely on protecting wildlife but would be equipped to pursue criminal elements operating in forests.
“We are equally enhancing the capacity and capability of the forest guards. They are not just to chase antelopes and animals. We are going to have them chase the criminals and deal with them in various forests,” he stated.
Tinubu attributed Nigeria’s growing security challenges partly to instability in neighbouring Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, saying the situation has contributed to increased cross-border criminal activities.
He urged traditional rulers to encourage members of their communities to support security agencies by providing credible intelligence on suspicious individuals and activities.
The President also called on state governments to invest more of their increased federal allocations in road infrastructure, arguing that better road networks would improve access for security agencies and enhance the quality of life for residents.
“They should do more; instead of flying over where there is no numerical traffic, build roads and artery networks to really enhance the quality of life and the accessibility of the security agencies to penetrate those areas,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who is also the Chairman of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, thanked President Tinubu and the Nigerian Armed Forces for securing the release of the abducted pupils and teachers.
He also commended the Federal Government for ongoing federal road projects in Oyo State, including the proposed dualisation of the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road, Ogbomoso-Ilorin Road and the Badagry-Sokoto Highway passing through parts of the state.
The Oriire school abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when gunmen attacked Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School and L.A. Primary School in Esiele and Yawota communities, abducting approximately 39 pupils and seven teachers. During the attack, mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was killed.
The Presidency had earlier stated that the rescue operation, concluded on July 10, 2026, was carried out through a combination of intelligence-led, kinetic and non-kinetic operations, resulting in the arrest of eight suspected abductors, the neutralisation of several others and the safe rescue of the victims without the payment of ransom.
How did this story make you feel?
Join the conversation
Share a thoughtful response. Submissions may be reviewed before appearing.
