Makinde Visits Rescued Oriire Schoolchildren, Teachers at Military Hospital

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has arrived at the Military Hospital in Ibadan to visit the rescued school pupils and teachers who were abducted from the Oriire Local Government Area nearly two months ago.

Heavily armed attackers had previously invaded three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities on May 15, taking 39 schoolchildren and six teachers hostage.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that one teacher was killed during the initial assault, and another passed away while in captivity. Following a 56-day ordeal, the Presidency announced on Friday that all the remaining abductees had successfully regained their freedom through a coordinated operation executed by a joint team of security agencies.

The governor arrived directly at the Headquarters of the 2 Division Medical Centre, located inside the Odogbo Barracks in Ibadan, where the victims are currently receiving medical attention and undergoing routine profiling procedures following their release.

It is understood that media access to the rescued individuals remains tightly restricted.

The high-profile visit marks the first face-to-face interaction between the state leadership and the victims since their rescue, following weeks of intense local and national anxiety over the mass abduction.

Before arriving at the medical facility to check on the children and staff, Governor Makinde had released an official statement expressing immense gratitude to the military, police, local hunters, and vigilantes who hazarded their lives to make the rescue possible. He described the successful operation as a massive relief for the entire state and the affected families, while promising that his administration would focus heavily on the comprehensive rehabilitation of the victims.

Concurrently, the Presidency and other political figures, including the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi, have reacted to the rescue, acknowledging the efforts of the security agencies while calling for a renewed focus on reinforcing national security architecture to protect schools.