Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has confirmed that the 32 schoolchildren and teachers abducted from Oriire Local Government Area 27 days ago are still being held within the challenging 2,500-square-kilometer terrain of the Old Oyo National Park.
The ongoing rescue operation to save dozens of primary and secondary school students alongside their teachers in Oyo State has entered a critical phase. According to an official security brief published by The Guardian Nigeria, Governor Seyi Makinde has officially confirmed that the captives remain trapped within the outer perimeter corridors of the Old Oyo National Park. Speaking to the public via his official newsletter on Friday, June 12, 2026, the governor acknowledged that it has been a harrowing 27 days since heavily armed bandits raided communities in the Oriire Local Government Area, creating deep layers of despair, psychological grief, and public tension across the state.
Governor Makinde detailed the massive logistical hurdles currently facing the multi-agency military-police counter-offensive, explaining that the expansive 2,500-square-kilometer wildlife reserve features a punishing mix of dense jungle canopies, extreme rocky outcroppings, and hidden caverns. He reassured anxious relatives that while the difficult terrain makes a swift tactical breach incredibly complex, multiple joint security formations have completely surrounded the park axis to maintain continuous operational pressure on the criminal syndicates. In a direct attempt to calm public anger over the length of the rescue operation, the governor urged citizens to ignore unverified social media claims, report unusual border activity via the state’s 615 toll-free emergency lines, and maintain absolute faith in the tactical teams.
“We will get them home safely,” the Governor said, reaffirming his confidence in the ongoing rescue mission.
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