(IGP Olatunji Disu. Photo by Guardian Nigerian News)
According to Olatunji Disu, Inspector-General of Police, security forces postponed the rescue effort of kidnapped teachers and students in Oyo State in order to protect the victims from harm.
According to Disu, the decision was made in spite of growing pressure from Nigerians who criticized the operation’s speed and contrasted Nigeria’s security reaction with that of other nations.
Reader discretion is advised.
The Inspector-General of Police has given an account of how security agencies handled the rescue operation for pupils and teachers kidn@pped in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, saying details were deliberately kept secret to prevent collateral damage.
The IG, while speaking on the abd uction during a press briefing on Thursday, said security agencies held several meetings late into the night and kept details of their plans secret to prevent collateral damage.
The victims were abd ucted in May 2026 when suspected t3rrorists att@cked schools in the area and took dozens of pupils and teachers into captivity, before they were eventually rescued after spending 56 days in captivity following a coordinated operation by security agencies.
Disu said the att@ckers raided two schools and escaped with the victims using the vehicle of one of the teachers before setting it ablaze at the entrance of the forest.
Narrating the incident, he said the att@ckers had gone to two schools and kidn@pped the children and their teachers, using the vehicle belonging to the head teacher, and upon reaching the entrance of the bush they were heading into, set the vehicle on fire for reasons that remained unclear to security agencies.
The police chief said the location of the att@ck created additional challenges for security operatives, noting that the area had poor communication facilities and limited security presence, explaining that there was no network coverage at all in the area, and that the nearest police station was very far away, with only a single road leading to the two affected villages.
He said police officers, soldiers and vigilantes immediately joined the search for the abd uctors, adding that one officer was k!lled while tracking the att@ckers.
He said the officers followed the trail left by the att@ckers, during which one person was shot, lamenting that this sacrifice went largely unacknowledged by the public.
Disu said security agencies deployed aerial support, including helicopters belonging to the police and the Nigerian Air Force, while the search operation continued around the clock, with air support conducting searches day and night from the outset.
The IGP said the inability of security agencies to provide regular updates during the operation was deliberate, as officials feared that revealing information could compromise the safety of the hostages.
He said security agencies faced considerable public pressure and criticism at the time, with people comparing Nigeria’s response to that of other countries and pushing for hasty decisions, even though officials could not risk exposing the children to further danger through premature disclosure, given concerns about possible collateral damage.
He said security officials had to make difficult decisions while managing public pressure and the safety of the victims, noting that meetings were held late into the night as authorities worked through the decisions that needed to be made.
The police boss added that details of the operation were restricted even among security personnel to maintain secrecy, disclosing that many colleagues were not briefed on developments, and that officials missed social engagements and could not discuss much of what was happening at the time.
Disu said the rescue operation was eventually successful after weeks of coordinated efforts by security agencies.