The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, has revealed how a complex, multi-agency offensive eventually forced terrorists to release 44 abducted pupils and teachers unconditionally.
The joint rescue operation, which spanned 56 gruelling days, was executed under direct directives from President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
However, the victory came at a high cost, with the GOC confirming that an officer and a soldier paid the ultimate price during heavy firefights inside the forest.
TACTICAL OPERATION TIMELINE
May 15, 2026: Coordinated raid on Oriire schools; hostages marched into forest.
May – June 2026: Ground troops deploy; aerial drone & Air Force surveillance blocked by thick canopy.
Late June 2026: Intelligence arrests network informants in Adamawa, Kano, and Oyo.
July 10, 2026: Military blocks main logistics hub in Ashamu; terrorists release hostages.
The shield of the forest canopy
According to Major General Nnebeife, ground troops had to bear the brunt of the search after aerial assets struggled to pinpoint the captives.
“There are places in that forest where even the rays of sunlight cannot penetrate,” the GOC explained. “The drones flew, and the Air Force conducted surveillance, but the canopy hid everything. We had to rely strictly on intensive ground manoeuvres.”
Rather than negotiating or paying a ransom, the security apparatus—which included the military, Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Amotekun, and local vigilantes—focused on choking the criminal network.
Nationwide crackdown and direct blockades
The intelligence-driven hunt quickly expanded far beyond the borders of Oyo State. Security forces tracked and arrested key informants and associates of the kidnappers as far away as Kano and Adamawa states.
The turning point came when joint forces established a total blockade around the criminal group’s major logistics and supply base in Ashamu.
Starved of food, supplies, and escape routes, the bandits were left with no operational choice but to release the remaining hostages unconditionally on July 10, 2026.
While celebrating the survivors’ return, Major General Nnebeife warned that the military’s mission in the region is far from over. “Our objective is the complete dismantlement of the terrorist syndicate operating in this area,” he said. “We will not stop until they are wiped out.”
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