President Donald Trump of the United States might not have mentioned the rescue mission of abducted schoolchildren in Oriire area of Oyo State, it is however highly probable that the success of the mission by the Nigerian security forces partly informed his commendation of President Bola Tinubu’s efforts.

It is instructive and with great relief that after 56 days of bondage under dreaded and deadly terrorists, the 44 abducted victims from three schools in Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, are now back home with their families.

No doubt, the picture of the harrowing experiences those schoolchildren, including toddlers, and their teachers went through under those demented terrorists is most painful. Not to forget the inclement, rainy, hostile and dangerous forest environment they were kept in during the period.
 
President Trump wrote to President Tinubu, expressing appreciation for what he described as the Nigerian leader’s “decisive leadership” and efforts to tackle security challenges in the country. In the letter dated July 6, 2026, released on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the U.S. President particularly commended Tinubu for his resolve to address violence targeting Christian communities. Trump added that he was honoured to stand with Tinubu in the fight against terrorism and efforts to make Nigeria “stronger and more prosperous”.
 
Equally commendable of the Nigerian government is the prompt prosecution and life imprisonment handed down on three of the kidnappers by the Federal High Court.

Sadly, two of the teachers were murdered by the terrorists. Mr Michael Oyedokun, acclaimed to be a Mathematics teacher, was beheaded gruesomely, while Mr Esiyan Adegboye, a Deacon, was shot dead by the assailants. Two community members were also reported killed in the course of the initial invasion on May 15, 2026. In addition, five security personnel, including a lieutenant, were reported killed during the rescue efforts. This casualty is mournful and regrettable. Only God can console the victims’ family members.
 
The heart-rending experience offers many lessons. It is reassuring, for a start, that the Nigerian law enforcement officers can rise to the occasion whenever the need arises. That much was demonstrated in the Oriire rescue mission. Going forward as a country, the Oriire episode presents a template with which to forestall future occurrences of a similar nature anywhere in the country, particularly the painstaking resolve to bring home the captives unhurt.
 
In the history of school mass abductions in the country, beginning with Chibok in 2014, Oriire was a remarkable outing in terms of information and intelligence sharing. From the day of the abductions till the day of rescue, citizens were not left in the dark despite the anxious waiting. Government information channels reported the efforts at the state and federal levels. In the case of Chibok, citizens were left distraught and perturbed. Information was scanty, even as officials initially denied the abduction, while the lack of coordination between the Borno State government and the Federal Government at the time was palpable.
 
In terms of the rescue, Nigerians saw for the first time a coordinated mass rescue campaign that showcased remarkable efficiency and transparency. The government and the people were on the same page despite political nuances. At the end of the day, the rescue efforts were recognised. There was accountability.
 
In the case of Chibok, about 96 of the 265 girls are still unaccounted for. Some escaped back with children, and others pregnant for terrorists. Chibok remains a dampener for female education, particularly in the North, where the country already has a predominant number of out-of-school children. 
 
In the case of Dapchi, in Yobe State, where Boko Haram forcefully abducted 110 schoolgirls from Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, on February 19, 2018, the government negotiated the release of 106 of the schoolgirls, except Leah Sharibu, who refused to renounce her Christian faith. The others died during the ordeal.
 
Since Chibok, schoolchildren have become easy targets for terrorists. There was the Kankara, Katsina State, abductions of December 2020, with over 300 boys taken hostage by terrorists; Kagara, Niger State, where gunmen took hostage 27 students, along with a teacher, in February 2021; and Jangebe, Zamfara State, where 317 schoolgirls were kidnapped by terrorists in February 2012. The list is endless.
 
It is important that the government fully appreciates its primary constitutional responsibilities to protect the lives and properties of citizens and ensure their welfare. Schoolchildren are particularly vulnerable and require special attention and protection. A situation where terrorists make schools unsafe for learning undermines the government and is not acceptable. That is why the Oriire rescue efforts deserve commendation.
 
The government should work harder to prevent attacks on schools. The safe school initiative that was launched in 2014, following the Chibok attack, is bedevilled by implementation gaps, including poor funding, lack of accountability and failure to engage proactively. The government should vigorously prevent rather than rely on rescue missions after attacks.

The logistics of Oriire rescue efforts, particularly the security agencies that were on the ground and those who supplied the intelligence, are commendable. The Federal Government and the Oyo State Government deserve mention for their unrelenting monitoring and progress reports. The deployment of men and resources, beginning on May 15, 2026, when the abductions took place, and July 10, 2026, when the rescue was announced, was skilful and diligent. The tracking and surveillance of the victims and their captors to keep them in focus was professional. Nigerians celebrate the fallen personnel of the security team who sacrificed their lives to free the victims: Lt. F.A. Isaac (Nigerian Army); Private Silas Musa (Nigerian Army), Sergeant Abena John Jerome (Nigeria Police), and Lance Corporal Adamau Hussain (Nigerian Army). May God console their families as the government fulfils all obligations due to the fallen heroes.
 
Having set a commendable precedent, the Oriire rescue should inform the rescue of other victims languishing in dens of terrorists in Kogi, Kwara, Borno and such places across the country. Reports say there are 529 schoolchildren and others still in captivity. Northern elders, including the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the Middle Belt Forum and others, have demanded that the government use the same tactics it deployed at Oriire to free abducted children in the zone. This is important as all children deserve protection. The government should employ all available resources to free all abducted Nigerians wherever they may be. No Nigerian deserves to be denied the right to life and good living conditions.
 
Community elders should remember that security is local; they must therefore deploy local intelligence and share vital information to assist the government. No one should pamper terrorism in the name of religion and ethnic affinity. There has to be unanimity of purpose across the board to deal with insurgency, terrorism and banditry. It is a shared responsibility that Nigerians cannot afford to abandon to the government alone.