Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has said that troops are making significant progress toward rescuing the 39 pupils and seven teachers that were abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Council of Oyo State.

Shaibu spoke during an interactive session with media executives at the weekend in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as part of activities marking the 2026 Nigerian Army Day Celebration.

He promised that the operation would lead to the safe rescue of the victims and their reunion with their families.

The CoAS, while speaking on the operations in the North-East, said troops under Operation Hadin Kai had recorded significant successes against insurgents and terrorists.

According to him, the troops had recently neutralised a high-profile Islamic State Commander, Abu Bilal al-Minuki, in collaboration with the United States (U.S.).

Shaibu said improved security had enabled displaced persons to return to their communities, pointing to the recent closure of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Bama, Borno State.

He said the troops had also improved security in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara, Niger, and parts of Kogi State.

The Army Chief, who announced that the Federal Government had approved measures to strengthen military manpower to address emerging security threats, said that President Bola Tinubu had approved the establishment of a new Nigerian Army depot in Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State, bringing the total number of Army depots to three.

He further disclosed that the Army had acquired armoured personnel carriers, mine-resistant vehicles, and unmanned aerial vehicles to strengthen its operational capabilities.

RELATEDLY, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, yesterday, visited victims of the Eda Oniyo kidnap incident at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, where they are currently receiving treatment following their release.

Oyebanji, who was received by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Human Services, Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, and the Acting Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Oladele Olatunya, strongly condemned the incident, assuring residents that decisive steps are being taken to safeguard lives and property, as well as make the state hot for criminal elements.

He cautioned residents against politicising security and kidnapping issues, stressing that matters of security must not be trivialised.

The governor, who expressed gratitude to God for the victims’ safe return, described their ordeal as painful and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.

Oyebanji reiterated that the state government would bear the full cost of the victims’ medical treatment and provide psychological support to aid their recovery and reintegration into the society.

The governor, while expressing appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support in ensuring the safe return of the victims, also commended heads of all security agencies in the state, the traditional rulers, leaders of the Eda Oniyo community, and the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), along with other stakeholders, for their roles in securing the victims’ release.

The governor, however, reiterated his administration’s unwavering commitment to the protection of lives and property, urging the individuals that are politicising the unfortunate incident on social media to desist and instead collaborate with the government in building a safer and more prosperous state.

He also extended his heartfelt condolences to the family of one of the victims who tragically lost his life while in captivity.

A relative, Akin Oluwayemi, expressed appreciation to the governor and security agencies for their efforts, while calling for a sustained security presence in border communities to prevent future occurrences.

Oyebanji, however, paid the medical bills of three indigent patients at the hospital who had been unable to pay after being discharged.