Oyo Schoolchildren Kidnap: Security Forces Crack Ansaru Network as Captors ‘Lose Confidence’ on Day 54

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The search for 39 abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State has entered a critical phase, with Nigerian security agencies recording what officials describe as their biggest breakthrough since the victims were kidnapped 54 days ago.

Intelligence gathered by the Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly exposed key members of the kidnapping network and identified their collaborators operating across several states, significantly weakening the criminal group’s support structure.

Security sources said the development has unsettled the abductors, leaving them increasingly fearful and more willing to consider releasing their captives.

“The kidnappers are becoming increasingly apprehensive. Their confidence has been shaken, and they are now showing greater willingness to release the children,” a senior security source told ThisDay.

The children and their teachers were abducted on May 15, 2026, when heavily armed gunmen attacked schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The victims have remained in captivity inside the vast Old Oyo National Park ever since.

Speaking on the ongoing operation, Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff, assured Nigerians that security forces are making significant progress.

“Operations are currently ongoing to rescue those children abducted in Oyo State, and we are making tremendous progress,” he said.

Retired Major General Eniola Gbadamosi described the intelligence breakthrough as a major operational advantage, explaining that criminal groups often become vulnerable once their communication channels and logistics networks are dismantled.

For more than 40 days, security agencies concentrated on containing the kidnappers within the approximately 2,500-square-kilometre Old Oyo National Park through aerial surveillance, perimeter security, and restricted escape routes.

However, the latest DSS operation has shifted attention to dismantling the external network supporting the kidnappers. Investigators have reportedly traced individuals responsible for supplying food, facilitating communications, and coordinating ransom negotiations from locations outside the forest.

Security experts believe targeting these support systems places enormous psychological pressure on the kidnappers while reducing their ability to sustain prolonged captivity.

Authorities have linked the abductors to Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), an extremist faction that split from Boko Haram in 2012.

The group reportedly demanded the release of detained Ansaru commanders Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, and Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam, alongside ransom payments, two Hilux vehicles, and the implementation of certain Sharia-related conditions.

Security sources now believe the kidnappers have shifted their priorities from ideological demands to finding a way out of the tightening security dragnet, increasing the prospects for either successful negotiations or a rescue operation.

Despite the encouraging intelligence gains, the children and teachers remain in captivity.

Two teachers were killed during the initial attack, while schools affected by the incident remain largely deserted. In many classrooms, books, desks and chalkboards remain untouched since the day of the abduction.

Families of the victims continue to endure weeks of uncertainty.

One grieving father from Ahoro-Esinele lamented, “We are told to be patient. But patience has become pain.”

Mental health experts have also warned that the prolonged captivity could leave many of the children with lasting psychological trauma, even after they regain their freedom.

The Oriire attack occurred on the same day terrorists struck Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Borno State, abducting another group of students who also remain in captivity. While the Oyo kidnapping has attracted widespread national attention, residents in Borno have continued to call for greater efforts to secure the release of their own children.

Although security officials say recent intelligence breakthroughs have significantly improved their operational position, the rescue mission is not yet complete.

Schools remain closed in parts of Oyo State, while a curfew continues across 10 local government areas as security agencies intensify efforts to bring the remaining hostages home.