Nigerian army frees 44 kidnapped pupils and teachers

Nigeria's military has announced the release of all 44 pupils and teachers who were abducted two months ago from schools in the southern state of Oyo, and has arrested some of their captors. A local teachers' union expressed relief, but families described the ordeal as harrowing and said they are still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones.

The military acknowledged that several soldiers died in the rescue mission. The freed captives are currently receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed hospital and will return home later, according to army spokesman Danjuma Jonah Danjuma in a statement issued on Friday evening.

A renewed wave of mass kidnappings has hit Nigeria in recent months, with insecurity remaining a major issue ahead of next year's general election. The government says it is stepping up security around schools and vulnerable communities, but critics argue it is insufficient.

In this case, the victims were kidnapped by gunmen on May 15 from three schools in the Osiire district of Oyo state: Baptist Nursery and Primary School, LA Primary School, and Community Grammar School. No official confirmation has been given of the victims' ages, but children at such schools in Nigeria are typically aged between two and 18 years old.

For their families, it has been an agonizing wait. Professor Wole Alamu told the BBC: "It was a harrowing experience... but we thank God that it ended well." His wife, Rachael Folawe Alamu, is the headteacher of Community Grammar School. He said his family found it especially difficult to see videos released by the abductors showing her and other teachers and pupils.

Hassan Ajibola, who leads the Teachers' Union in Oyo State, told the BBC he was "happy and elated" and felt great "joy", but urged authorities to fully implement stronger security measures as outlined in the Safe School Initiative launched over a decade ago after the infamous Chibok schoolgirls abduction. He believes that if the program were fully implemented, schools would be very secure. Measures should include deploying security personnel, CCTV, regular patrols, fencing school premises, and using local security groups.

Continued school kidnappings in Nigeria have prompted lawmakers and rights groups to call for an investigation into how Safe School Initiative funds have been used. The Oyo state abductions caused widespread concern due to their scale and because they occurred in the predominantly Christian southwest, rather than the mostly Muslim north where such attacks are more common.

The army said the month-long rescue operation involved the military, police, intelligence agencies, and local vigilante groups. It identified those behind the abduction and dismantled their support network, including informants and hideouts in the Old Oyo National Park forest. The military acknowledged that some personnel were killed but gave no further details. It announced on Friday that it had arrested a number of suspects, without saying how many remain at large. The army says more operations are planned.