The military has confirmed contact with abductors of students and teachers in Oyo State, as rescue operations continue across multiple forest routes to secure their release.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, noting that troops are tracking the suspects as part of ongoing coordinated operations. He said the Armed Forces are conducting sustained missions aimed at rescuing the victims and neutralising the criminal elements behind the attack.
Onoja also conveyed the condolences of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, to the government and people of Oyo State, as well as families of those affected. He described the abduction as reprehensible, adding that the military has deployed all necessary resources to ensure the safe return of the victims.
He further said intelligence does not support claims of an established terrorist base in the South-West, stressing that earlier clearance operations in the Old Oyo National Park had disrupted criminal elements in the area.
According to him, the incident remains an isolated criminal act, warning against narratives capable of causing panic or emboldening offenders. Onoja added that joint operations involving other security agencies and local vigilantes are ongoing, while urging residents to support security efforts with credible intelligence to aid rescue efforts.
