Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo of Nigeria’s Oyo Diocese has expressed profound relief following the release of 45 teachers and students who had been held in captivity for nearly 60 days.

The victims were freed on July 10 thanks to a joint intervention by Nigeria’s security and political forces.

They had been kidnapped on May 15 when armed men stormed schools along the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis of Ogbomoso in Oyo State.

The assailants invaded during class hours, shot a teacher, and abducted pupils, students, teachers, and the principal of Community Grammar School, Mrs. Rachael Alamu.

Describing the news as “sweet, sweet relief,” Bishop Badejo said he was overjoyed by the safe return of the victims.

“I thank God Almighty who made this possible,” the bishop said in a statement. “Felicitations to the families who are going to welcome their members back after such a long period of agony.”

He also extended his sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives during the initial attack.

The rescue operation also drew commendation from Nigeria’s highest office. In a July 10 statement, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga quoted President Bola Tinubu as expressing profound joy over the successful operation.

“I am profoundly happy that our security forces successfully rescued the abducted pupils and teachers from Orire, Ogbomoso in Oyo State today, after a military, police, and intelligence-driven operation that neutralised some of the terrorists and led to the arrest of eight others,” the President said.

President Tinubu praised the armed forces, intelligence agencies, and police for ending the 57-day standoff, and commended the Oyo State government for its cooperation. He also vowed justice for the victims and for the family of Mr. Oyedokun, a teacher gruesomely murdered by the kidnappers.

Crucially, Onanuga emphasized that the rescue involved no exchange or concessions to the captors.

“Eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some were neutralized. There was no quid pro quo in the rescue,” Onanuga explained, noting that a terrorist kingpin whose release had been demanded by the gang is instead being prosecuted for his atrocities.

Church leaders offer rare praise

In the wake of the operation, church leaders in Nigeria have offered rare praise to a government they have frequently criticized – and sometimes accused of complicity in the ongoing violence against Nigerian Christians.

Bishop Badejo extended his appreciation to government authorities, security agencies, the media, and all who contributed through prayer and advocacy to secure the victims’ freedom. He called the successful rescue “a wake-up call” for national unity against insecurity.

“May this ugly episode serve as a wake-up call to all of us, government and citizens, to collaborate more and do our utmost to secure our lives and property together,” he said. “May such ugly episodes be brought to an end in our country, Nigeria.”

The sentiment was echoed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Director of the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law.

In comments to Crux Now, Umeagbalasi noted that it was the first time since since 2009 when his organization began tracking how the military handles such cases that the Nigerian military had acted with such transparent professionalism.

“[T]he Nigerian military has done something truthful and commendable,” Umeagbalasi said. “The videos, pictures, and every piece of evidence released were undiluted and unmanipulated,” Umeagbalasi added, saying also that it was the first time he could recall such transparency.

“[T]he military was transparent enough to disclose the kidnappers and bandits they gunned down. They also admitted that some of their personnel were attacked and killed,” he said. The Nigerian Army made a statement acknowledging “casualties” but did not elaborate.

One officer, 28-year-old Lt. Felix Ademe Isaac, was later identified, and received military burial earlier this week, video of which has circulated widely.

“They went into the kidnappers’ den and conducted the operation professionally,” he added.

However, the leading criminologist expressed doubt the feat could be replicated in other volatile regions, such as Southern Kaduna, where thousands of Christians are being held hostage in forests; or in Taraba, where Fulani and Boko Haram elements control regional forests.

He also pointed to Zamfara, where innocent Christian and Muslim hostages are held, and where ransom payments remain the dominant approach for securing freedom.

“If this level of professionalism could be sustained, it would put an end to this nonsense,” Umeagbalasi said.

Kidnapping: Nigeria’s booming criminal enterprise

The Oyo rescue was welcomed as a bright spot against a daunting backdrop: A kidnapping crisis of enormous scale, which has evolved into a multi-million-dollar criminal enterprise.

According to recent data from Nigerian civil society leader Intersociety, 2,800 Christians and 1,150 Muslims were abducted while an estimated 2,550 defenseless Christians and 1,050 moderate Muslims were killed in the first 180 days of the year.

Furthermore, a 2025 report by SBM Intelligence – an Africa-focused security and strategic consulting firm – revealed that ransoms totaling approximately $1.86 million were paid out in Nigeria between July 2024 and June 2025.

During that same period, no fewer than 4,722 people were kidnapped in at least 997 separate incidents.

 

*Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that 10,500 moderate Muslims had been killed in the first 180 days of the year. The Intersociety report data show that 1,050 moderate Muslims have been killed during the period. The error is Crux Now‘s, not Intersociety’s. Crux Now regrets the error.