The schoolchildren and teachers kidnapped by suspected bandits in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have been rescued after about 56 days in captivity.

According to a statement by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the victims were freed through the efforts of security agencies.

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

He disclosed that eight members of the kidnapping gang were arrested during the rescue operation and are now in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Onanuga said the rescue operation did not involve any exchange or concession to the kidnappers, noting that a notorious gang leader whose release had been demanded by the abductors remains in custody and is being prosecuted for his alleged crimes.

He added that security agencies would provide a full account of the operation soon.

“In the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised. There was no quid pro quo in the rescue, as one of the terrorists, a kingpin whose release was demanded by the kidnappers, is being prosecuted for his atrocities. The security agencies will give full account soon,” he added.

In a video shared alongside the statement, a woman believed to be one of the rescued teachers was seen thanking President Bola Tinubu for securing their release. The schoolchildren were also seen eating biscuits and joining the teacher in chanting, “Thank you, sir,” at the end of her remarks.

“Hello sir, our father, we are grateful. Mr President, sir, we are grateful. We understand your commitment to our safety and we appreciate all you did for us. We could see your hand in this. Thank you very much. Every security operative tried so much, and that is why we are still alive today. We are very grateful to you. Thank you very much,” the teacher said.

The police have arrested the father of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Reports said that police officers, on Monday morning, stormed the family residence in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, and picked up Adeyemi’s father alongside a family friend who was visiting at the time. The arrest reportedly left Adeyemi’s elderly mother in distress.

The development is connected to the ongoing PFIPC controversy. The Presidency has disowned the council, saying no such body exists under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Adeniyi Adeyemi is currently facing charges bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation and related offences.

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), confirmed the arrest and faulted the police action, describing it as a “substituted arrest” with no legal basis.

“The father has been arrested. There is no legal basis for substituted arrests. The young man has promised to show up in court, so why arrest his father?” Falana said.

Further reports quoting legal experts noted that under the 1999 Constitution, arrest and detention must be personal.

Section 35 guarantees the right to personal liberty and allows arrest only where a person is reasonably suspected of committing an offence. Section 42 further prohibits punishment by association.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled against “guilt by association,” holding that criminal liability in Nigeria is personal and cannot be transferred to relatives. Arresting a parent, spouse or sibling to compel a suspect to surrender is regarded as unconstitutional unless there is evidence that the relative aided or abetted the crime.

By that standard, detaining Adeyemi’s father solely because his son is facing trial would amount to substituted arrest, which courts have previously declared illegal and awarded damages against.

Adeyemi came under public scrutiny after the PFIPC was listed in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budgetary allocation of about N1.3 billion, despite the Presidency’s insistence that the council was never legally created. The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has also stated that the council never completed requirements to operate a CBN account and has not received any government funds.

The matter was first flagged in October 2025 after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) raised concerns that the purported council was performing functions similar to those of the NIPC. The Office of the Chief of Staff subsequently petitioned security agencies over alleged forged presidential documents.

Police authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the grounds for the arrest of Adeyemi’s father and the family friend. Legal observers say they will be monitoring developments closely, with the possibility of a fundamental rights enforcement suit if the detention continues without charge.

The Federal government has announced a major overhaul of Nigeria’s education structure, moving to scrap the separation of Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS), describing the policy as a failure that has contributed to the country’s growing out-of-school crisis.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the announcement on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee, saying the Tinubu administration was determined to reverse years of declining educational outcomes by creating a seamless transition from primary to secondary education.

Alausa said the existing arrangement, which separates junior and senior secondary schools under the country’s 6-3-3-4 education system, has left millions of children stranded after completing primary school.

According to him, Nigeria currently has about 80,000 public primary schools but only 15,000 junior secondary schools, creating a significant transition gap that has fuelled the country’s out-of-school population.

He disclosed that while about 24 million children enroll in primary schools across the country, only about four million complete senior secondary education.

“About 24 million children enrol in our primary schools, but only about four million of them complete senior secondary. We have over 20 million children dropping out between primary school and junior secondary school. Where are those students?” the minister asked.

He blamed the trend on the policy separating JSS from SSS, saying it has resulted in overcrowded junior secondary schools while many senior secondary schools remain underutilised.

“The previous governments may have failed in this regard, but this government will not fail. We are fixing this. We need to create more opportunities for children to move seamlessly through the education system.

“We have overflowing junior secondary schools and empty senior secondary schools. I can objectively report today that this disarticulation policy has failed. We will phase it out. We cannot continue creating administrative positions while damaging our education system. It is about doing what is best for every Nigerian child,” Alausa said.

He explained that the proposal to abolish the policy would be presented at the next meeting of the National Council on Education for formal consideration and approval.

The minister also inaugurated a high-powered implementation and monitoring committee chaired by education expert, Prof. Rashid Aderinoye, to accelerate the completion, handover, and operation of hundreds of Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools, and Alternative Schools funded by UBEC across the country.

Alausa lamented that despite substantial public investment, many of the schools had either been abandoned or completed without being handed over to state governments for academic activities.

He described the situation as a waste of public resources and a denial of learning opportunities to thousands of Nigerian children.

“The purpose of these schools is to educate children, not to remain locked up after completion,” he said, charging the committee to eliminate implementation bottlenecks and ensure the facilities begin serving their intended purpose.

Earlier, UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, said the Federal Government had made notable progress in expanding access to quality basic education through the Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools, and Alternative Schools programmes.

She disclosed that 37 Smart Schools had been established nationwide, with 24 already operational, while the remaining schools were at different stages of completion, furnishing, and preparation for academic activities.

Garba added that under the UBEC-Islamic Development Bank Bilingual Education Programme, 30 schools had been established across nine states, with three boarding schools already commissioned and four others substantially completed awaiting inauguration.

She further stated that the Alternative Schools Programme was helping to expand access to education for vulnerable and out-of-school children through flexible and inclusive learning models.

According to her, the newly inaugurated committee will oversee project implementation, ensure the timely completion and handover of schools, resolve implementation challenges, and guarantee that government investments translate into fully functional learning centres.

Responding on behalf of the committee, Prof. Aderinoye pledged that members would carry out their assignment with diligence, transparency, and accountability, assuring that they would work to remove obstacles delaying project delivery and improve access to quality education across Nigeria.