The rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has generated mixed reactions among Nigerians, with many welcoming the development while demanding greater transparency from authorities regarding the circumstances surrounding the operation.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the rescue on Friday in a post on X.

“Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo, have been rescued by our security agencies.

“One of the rescued teachers in Oyo sends a thank you message to President Tinubu and the security agencies,” Onanuga wrote.

The announcement came weeks after the pupils and teachers were kidnapped, sparking widespread concern and anxiety across the country.

In a video shared alongside the post, one of the rescued victims, Rachael Alamu, Principal of Community High School, thanked Tinubu and security personnel for securing their freedom.

“President sir, our father, we are grateful. We understand your commitment to our safety and we appreciate all you did for us.

“And every security operative, they tried so much and that is why we are still alive today. God bless you,” she said.

Despite celebrations over the victims’ safe return, several Nigerians questioned the circumstances surrounding the rescue and called on the government to provide details of the operation and publicly identify those responsible for the abduction.

An X user, Hosea, who posts as #hoseatolu, wrote, “Where are the kidnappers? How were they rescued? Nigerians deserve an answer. You can’t just rescue those children and their teachers without apprehending any of the bandits.”

Another user, #salees01, congratulated the victims and their families but asked, “Congratulations to the families of the rescued pupils and their teachers. But where are the pictures of the purported terrorists arrested in the course of the rescue as claimed?”

Another commenter, #Castle_Rep, welcomed the development but raised concerns about insecurity.

“This is great news. These people need justice and the government should do what is right. Where are the kidnappers? How were they released? What is the government doing to curb insecurity? These are the questions we need to ask,” the user said.

Also demanding greater transparency, #God_streasure7 wrote, “Make dem give full account abeg. We need to know what really happened.”

For #LionelKuti, authorities should disclose more information about the operation.

“Name the terrorists and their sponsors. Name the location where the rescue operation happened and let Nigerians verify,” the user wrote.

Another user, #REPRESENT042, called for visual evidence of any arrests.

“We need videos and pictures if they were truly caught. For too long we have heard claims about arrests or terrorists being neutralised without proof,” the user said.

Echoing similar sentiments, #loverbird0 wrote, “We want to see the faces of the terrorists. Don’t hide them in DSS custody if this is not a staged drama.”

Meanwhile, #EdmundOnoriode urged authorities to ensure swift prosecution of anyone arrested in connection with the incident.

“All those arrested should be publicly paraded and brought to swift justice immediately,” the user wrote.

Others commended security agencies and urged them to intensify efforts against criminal groups.

#immob2 wrote, “Finally, this is good news. Now our gallant security forces should go after the criminals and bring them to justice. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Similarly, #StixxSunny said, “Thanks be to God. I hope the government puts more measures in place to prevent this from happening again.” (The PUNCH)

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