Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has explained that security agencies deliberately delayed the rescue operation for abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State to avoid putting the victims’ lives at risk.
Disu said the decision was made despite mounting public criticism over the pace of the operation and comparisons with how similar incidents are handled in other countries.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, the IGP said security agencies held several late-night strategy meetings and deliberately withheld operational details to prevent compromising the mission.
The victims were abducted in May 2026 when suspected terrorists attacked schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, taking dozens of pupils and teachers hostage.
They were eventually rescued after spending 56 days in captivity following a coordinated operation by security agencies.
Disu said the attackers invaded two schools and fled with the victims in the vehicle belonging to one of the teachers before setting it ablaze at the entrance to the forest.
“I will share with you the incident of the Ogbomosho kidnap. That day, they came. They went to two schools and kidnapped the children and their teachers.
“They used the vehicle of one of the teachers, the head teacher. When they got to the entrance of the bush they were heading to, they set the vehicle on fire. We didn’t know why they did that,” he said.
The police chief noted that the location of the attack posed significant operational challenges, citing poor telecommunications coverage and the absence of nearby security formations.
“In that area, there is no network at all. Even the nearest police station is very far away. There is only one road leading to the two villages where the kidnapping occurred,” Disu said.
He said police officers, soldiers and local vigilantes immediately launched a search operation, revealing that one security operative was killed while pursuing the kidnappers.
“Policemen came, soldiers came, vigilantes came. As I speak to you now, it is only those of us here who know what happened. They followed the kidnappers’ trail. One of our men was shot during the pursuit.
“Nobody mentioned that. Nobody saw it. Nobody saw the effort we put in,” he said.
Disu disclosed that the operation involved extensive aerial surveillance, with helicopters from both the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Air Force deployed to search for the victims.
“From that moment, the Nigerian Air Force helicopter, the police helicopter—everybody was searching day and night,” he said.
The IGP explained that security agencies intentionally refrained from providing regular public updates because doing so could have endangered the hostages.
“Everybody was attacking us left and right. They were asking questions and making comparisons with other countries. We could not come out to speak because we could not expose those children.
“There’s something called collateral damage. People wanted us to take hasty decisions,” he said.
According to Disu, security officials had to balance public expectations with the need to protect the lives of the abducted pupils and teachers.
“Every night we held meetings, trying to make the right decisions. A lot of people didn’t know what was happening because we had to keep the operation secret,” he said.
He added that information about the rescue mission was restricted even within the security services to preserve operational secrecy.
“Most of what we did was not even shared with many of our colleagues because we wanted to maintain confidentiality. We missed social engagements and could not talk about what we were doing,” Disu said.
The Inspector-General said the coordinated efforts of the various security agencies eventually led to the successful rescue of all the victims after weeks of sustained operations.