President Bola Tinubu has approved the deployment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State as part of intensified efforts to tackle rising insecurity and secure the release of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
The President also directed a specialised tactical rescue unit, equipped with advanced operational capacity, to urgently step up intelligence-led operations aimed at rescuing victims taken from three schools in the area.
This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following a high-level federal government visit to Esiele and Yawota communities on May 31, 2026.
The delegation conveyed Tinubu’s directives to community leaders and lawmakers, while also informing them that a request for the establishment of a military base in the area had been forwarded to the President for consideration.
The visit comes 16 days after armed attackers invaded the communities and abducted pupils and teachers, sparking widespread concern across the state.
The federal team was led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside top security chiefs including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and media aide Sunday Dare.
Speaking during engagements with residents in English and Yoruba, Gbajabiamila said President Tinubu was deeply concerned about the incident and had committed all necessary resources to ensure the victims’ safe return.
He assured families that rescue operations would be carefully coordinated, combining both military and non-military strategies.
Authorities also responded to concerns raised by parents over the safety of rescue efforts, stressing that the operation would be guided by intelligence to avoid further harm.
During the visit, the delegation met with the Soun of Ogbomosoland, HRM Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, and also paid a condolence visit to the family of a slain teacher, offering the President’s sympathies.
The approved forest guards will be recruited jointly by the federal and Oyo State governments to strengthen surveillance in vulnerable forest zones.
The abduction incident occurred on May 15, 2026, when gunmen attacked Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, abducting several pupils and teachers.
During the attack, a teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was killed, while another victim and a security operative also lost their lives in separate violent incidents linked to the rescue attempts.
The affected communities are located along a forest corridor that authorities believe has been repeatedly exploited by the attackers as a hideout.