The Defence Headquarters has announced the deployment of special forces and aerial surveillance assets to Oyo State following recent kidnapping incidents in parts of the state.
The military said the operation was ordered by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, as part of efforts to rescue victims, arrest the perpetrators, and restore security in affected communities.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed the development during a press briefing at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
The deployment follows the May 15 attack in Ahoro Esinele community, located in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where armed men abducted 39 students and seven teachers.
One of the abducted teachers, identified as Michael Oyedokun, was reportedly killed during the attack.
According to the Defence Headquarters, preliminary investigations linked the attackers to suspected members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), a faction associated with Boko Haram that had been displaced from its traditional operational bases in the North-East.
“The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, extends his heartfelt sympathy and solidarity to the affected families, the government and the good people of Oyo State, reaffirming that the Armed Forces of Nigeria view any threat to civilian peace as an intolerable affront to national sovereignty,” Onoja stated.
He added that the CDS had directed a comprehensive reinforcement of security operations in the affected areas through advanced aerial surveillance and the deployment of specialised ground troops in collaboration with state authorities.
The defence spokesperson also praised troops operating across different theatres for their “gallantry, tactical ingenuity and professionalism,” while encouraging field commanders to sustain ongoing operations with attention to troop welfare and civilian protection.
Onoja further appealed to Nigerians to support security agencies with timely and credible intelligence, stressing that community cooperation remains essential in tackling terrorism, kidnapping, and other criminal activities across the country.
