“Eight terrorists arrested, others killed,” Presidency explains how kidnapped Oyo pupils, teachers were rescued
The presidency has said eight of the terrorists involved in the kidnapping of teachers and pupils in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have been arrested while others were neutralised.
This was released in a statement on Friday by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga shortly after the victims’ rescued.
According to the statement, there was “no quid pro quo” in the rescue.
The expression ‘no quid pro quo’ is derived from the Latin phrase quid pro quo, which simply means that something was done unconditionally without anything in return.
Onanuga added that one of the terrorist kingpins whose release the abductors had demanded is currently being prosecuted.
“Updated: in the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised,” Onanuga wrote in a post on X.
“There was no quid pro quo in the rescue as one of the terrorists, a kingpin, that the kidnappers demanded his release, is being prosecuted for his atrocities. The security agencies will give full account soon.”
On May 15, gunmen attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School, all in Oriire LGA.
The incident prompted the Oyo state government to shut schools in four LGAs as security agencies intensified efforts to rescue the victims.
Protests were organised in parts of the country to demand the rescue of the abducted schoolchildren.
On May 18, Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, said one of the teachers abducted during the attack was killed in captivity.
Speaking at a press briefing on the incident, Makinde described the situation as “difficult and challenging”, saying the state government was intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining victims.
Waidi Shaibu, the chief of army staff (COAS), had on July 5 said troops were making “tremendous progress” towards rescuing the abducted 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers.
