Was there a prisoner exchange for abducted pupils?
By Onibiyo Segun
Ibadan, Oyo State – The rescue of 44 pupils and teachers after 56 days in captivity has brought relief to families, but questions remain over the identity of the kidnappers, possible negotiations, escaped suspects and the forest routes used to sustain the operation.
The victims were abducted from a school in the Oriire county of Oyo State and regained freedom after a security operation.
However, authorities have not disclosed whether members of the kidnapping group were arrested, how many suspects were involved, or whether the network behind the attack has been dismantled.
Who Were Kidnap Leaders?
Former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, questioned whether the rescue operation captured those responsible for planning and executing the abduction.
Speaking on Arise TV, Daura said reports that the kidnappers abandoned the victims before security forces arrived could mean that key members of the group escaped with critical information about their operations.
“What I read from the media was that they abandoned the pupils”, Daura said
“So that means those that might have been in possession of the real information that they have must have disappeared?” Daura asks.
He warned that escaped members of the terror group could return to carry out future attacks.
“He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day,” Daura went on to say.
Retired military officer and security analyst Major Fajola Ojomo also raised questions about the final stage of the rescue operation, suggesting that the release may have involved negotiations.
Ojomo said, “the operation appeared different from previous rescue attempts where security personnel suffered casualties, suggesting that an arrangement may have been reached before the victims regained freedom.”
Authorities have not confirmed any negotiation or prisoner exchange, maintaining that the victims were rescued through a security operation.
However, a reliable military source who participated in the rescue told TruthNigeria that no ransom was paid, but disclosed that a prisoner exchange arrangement was involved, with detained suspects allegedly exchanged for the abducted pupils and teachers.
Victims Reveal Forest Movement
The accounts of rescued victims provide details about how the kidnappers moved and controlled them during their 56-day captivity.
Mrs. Racheal Alamu, principal of the secondary school where some of the victims were abducted, said the captives were kept in forest locations and moved whenever the kidnappers feared security forces were approaching.
“When the place was discovered, we had to move, and that usually started around seven or eight at night,” Alamu said.
“Sometimes we walked for three to four hours. That is why you see bruises on our bodies,” Alamu added.
She said some children were beaten, while younger victims suffered the most during the movement through difficult terrain.
Alamu also revealed that motorcycles were used to transport the victims through remote bush paths.
“About 10 motorcycles were used to move us for more than four hours through bush paths they knew very well,” Alamu said.
The testimony highlights the role of terrain knowledge, local routes and logistics in allowing criminal groups to hide large numbers of victims for nearly two months.
Who Controls the Kidnap Routes?
Security analysts told TruthNigeria that rescuing victims addresses only one part of the kidnapping problem.
They said authorities must identify the wider networks providing intelligence, logistics and support.
Dr. Ayodeji Akinwole, an Ibadan-based security analyst, said forests such as the Oyo National Park provide criminal groups with movement routes and space to reorganise.
“The forest dens are not just a hiding place. It provides movement routes, intelligence cover and space for groups to reorganize,” Akinwole said.
He said security agencies must focus on the wider support system behind kidnapping operations.
“The people carrying weapons are only one part of the network. There are others who provide information, logistics and support. Breaking that chain is what stops future attacks,” he noted.
Sidi Malumfashi, a Kebbi State-based counter-terrorism consultant, said criminal groups operating in remote locations depend on local intelligence and terrain that makes their movements hard to track.
“The challenge is not only locating where these terror groups operate, but understanding the network around them”, Malumfashi disclosed.
Malumfashi went on to say: “the people who provide information, logistics and support must be tracked and removed”.
He warned that without disrupting those connections, criminal groups can reorganize and launch new attacks.
Ransom Question Remains Open
Authorities have not disclosed whether ransom was paid before the victims regained freedom.
The lack of official information has continued to fuel debate over whether financial payments, negotiations or another arrangement played a role in ending the captivity.
Security experts have warned that ransom payments can provide criminal groups with resources for weapons, recruitment and future operations.
However, families and communities often face pressure to sell valuables to secure the release of victims when lives are at risk.
The Oriire case has renewed questions about how Nigeria responds to kidnapping networks while preventing abduction from becoming a profitable criminal enterprise.
Gov. Makinde Seeks Answers
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has called on the United Nations to intervene and investigate the circumstances surrounding the abduction and rescue.
Makinde said the state government wants a clearer understanding of what happened during the 56 days the victims spent in captivity.
“We need to get to the bottom of what happened,” Makinde said.
Claims by some individuals that the abduction may have had political motives remain unverified and have not been supported by publicly available evidence.
The remaining questions are whether the kidnapping network has been broken, whether those responsible will be arrested, and whether kidnap dens used by abductors can be secured before another attack.
Onibiyo Segun reports on terrorism and conflict for TruthNigeria.
