The operation that eventually secured the freedom of 44 pupils and teachers abducted in Oyo State has been revealed to have claimed nine lives, including five security personnel and four civilians, according to the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi.

Ajayi disclosed the figure in an interview published on Thursday, explaining that the casualties occurred as security forces pursued the kidnappers and later attacked their hideout.

He said operatives moved into action after receiving credible intelligence about the abduction. A police officer and a vigilante were killed during the initial pursuit, while additional deaths were recorded when security forces subsequently raided the kidnappers’ location.

The DSS chief described the mission as particularly delicate because the abducted group included a two-and-a-half-year-old child who would not have been able to escape quickly if security forces had stormed the hideout.

The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, when armed attackers invaded schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The pupils and their teachers subsequently spent 56 days in captivity before they were rescued on July 10.

The rescue followed more than a month of intelligence-led operations involving several security agencies. The Nigerian Army said the operation targeted the kidnappers’ network, including their kingpins, informants, logistics channels and hideouts within the Old Oyo National Park forest and other locations.

Personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, DSS, National Intelligence Agency, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as local vigilantes, hunters and Amotekun operatives, were involved in the wider operation.

According to the Army, sustained pressure and multiple arrests disrupted the kidnappers’ network and eventually forced the terrorists to release the victims unconditionally.

The Presidency later disclosed that eight suspected kidnappers were arrested and handed over to the DSS, while several others were killed during the operation. President Bola Tinubu also confirmed that the victims were rescued alive and said no ransom was paid and no concession was made to the abductors.

The kidnappers had reportedly demanded the release of a suspected terrorist kingpin who was already in custody and facing prosecution. The government refused to exchange the detainee for the abducted pupils and teachers.

Ajayi subsequently disclosed that the kidnapping network was linked to an international terrorist organisation with ties to Al-Qaeda. He said the organisation’s leaders had previously been arrested by the DSS, and that their arrests helped prevent planned attacks and mass abductions.

The DSS director-general said the group’s kingpins had been linked to the Abuja-Kaduna train attack and alleged plans to target foreigners, students, women and children.

He further disclosed that the kingpins and three other collaborators had been sentenced to life imprisonment, although the DSS was seeking stiffer punishment.

Beyond the physical risks of the operation, Ajayi said security agencies also had to contend with a wave of misinformation surrounding the abduction.

He said social media users circulated old videos, including footage of injured children from another country, and falsely presented them as images of the Oyo victims.

The DSS boss urged journalists and members of the public to verify information before sharing it, particularly during sensitive security operations. He stressed that accurate reporting was necessary to separate facts from fabricated claims and prevent unnecessary panic.

The Army said the rescue operation was deliberately planned to avoid collateral damage and ensure that all the victims were recovered safely. It added that follow-up operations were still being conducted to dismantle remaining elements of the terrorist network.

The rescue brought an end to 56 days of captivity for the pupils and teachers and provided relief to their families and the wider Oyo community. However, the disclosure of the nine deaths has highlighted the deadly risks faced by security personnel and civilians during hostage-rescue operations.

Security agencies have continued to call for credible intelligence and cooperation from communities as efforts intensify to dismantle kidnapping and terrorist networks operating across the country.