A young Nigerian Army lieutenant lost his life in the early stages of the operation that eventually secured the freedom of over 40 pupils and teachers kidnapped from schools in the Oriire Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo State.
As reported by The Nation on Saturday, July 11, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, confirmed the identity of the fallen officer as Lieutenant Felix Ademe Isaac.
Born on August 25, 1997, Isaac was 28 years old at the time of his death and would have marked his 29th birthday later in 2026.
The slain security officer’s remains were interred at the 23rd Armoured Brigade Cemetery in Yola, Adamawa State, on Friday, July 10, the same day the hostages were brought home alive after 56 days in captivity.
Oriire attack that triggered successful operation
The Oyo crisis began on May 15, when gunmen descended on three schools in Oriire LGA: Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School in Ogbomosho. Pupils and teachers were seized and taken into captivity deep in the Oyo National Park.
Governor Makinde subsequently disclosed that one of the abducted teachers was killed while in the terrorists’ hands.
The Oyo State government responded to the abduction by temporarily shutting public schools in the affected areas, while protests erupted in parts of the country demanding urgent action.
Oyo: Intelligence-led operation offers breakthrough
The rescue effort that followed drew personnel from more than 10 security agencies, coordinated over the course of roughly a month. Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife, the General Officer Commanding 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, led the operation that ultimately brought the surviving victims home safely on Friday, July 10.
Speaking to the BBC, Hassan Ajibola, who leads the Teachers’ Union in Oyo State, said he was “happy and elated” and felt huge “joy”, but urged the authorities to fully implement stronger security measures as outlined in their Safe School Initiative that was launched over a decade ago following the infamous Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.
He said, “I am very much convinced that should that [if the] programme be fully implemented and as initiated, our schools will be very, very secure.”
Furthermore, Ajibola stated that measures should include deploying security personnel to schools, installing closed-circuit television (CCTV), regular patrols, fencing school premises, and using local security groups to support areas facing shortages of personnel.
