Almost two months after bandits struck in Oriire local government area of Oyo State, the pupils and teachers abducted from Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota schools have regained their freedom.

This was disclosed in a post on X by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy.

“Finally, the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been freed by their abductors,” Onanuga wrote on X.

Speaking in a video obtained by Tribune Online after their release, the principal of Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esiele, Mrs Alamu Folawe, expressed their gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and security operatives for rescuing them alive.

“Hello sir, our father, we’re grateful. The President sir, we’re grateful. We understand your commitment to our safety and we appreciate all you did for us. We could see in your eyes. Thank you very much. And every security operative, they tried so much.

“And that’s why we are still alive now. We’re very grateful,” she said.

Tribune Online reports that 39 pupils and seven teachers were abducted on May 15 when bandits stormed Community Grammar School in Ahoro-Esiele and Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota — an attack which also led to the killing of a teacher and an Okada rider.

Earlier, Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, in a recent report by Tribune Online, revealed that the bandits warned they would kill the victims if troops moved closer to their hideout.

Musa made the disclosure in a preview clip of an interview with News Central shared on Wednesday ahead of its full broadcast on the NC Exclusive programme today.

According to the minister, the abductors are using the schoolchildren as bargaining tools to press for the release of some of their commanders currently in military custody.

“For whatever reason, they are looking for leverage because we have some of their commanders with us and they feel taking these kids and holding them to ransom will make us release their commander.

“And now they’re threatening when we wanted to take action against them that if we come any closer, they’re going to kill all the kids,” he said.