Article By Ezinwanne Onwuka
Release of 44 abducted pupils and teachers in southwest Nigeria is overshadowed by Fulani militia attacks in Benue and Plateau, leaving at least 27 dead in a single weekend.
Just as Nigerians celebrated the release of 44 abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State, fresh attacks across the Middle Belt claimed at least 27 lives over the weekend, eclipsing last week’s biggest security success. Fulani ethnic militia killed 18 people in Benue State and nine members of a single family in Plateau, underscoring how gains against kidnappers and bandits in one region are being offset by deadly violence in others.
Oyo Schoolchildren Freed
After weeks of fear and uncertainty, 44 pupils and teachers abducted in Oyo State have regained their freedom, bringing relief to families that had been gripped by anxiety.
The ordeal began when more than 40 pupils and teachers abducted from three schools in Oyo State disappeared into the dense Old Oyo National Park after heavily armed gunmen raided their community on May 15.
The attack left two teachers and a commercial motorcyclist dead. In captivity, the kidnappers murdered mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun.
The survivors finally regained their freedom on Friday, July 10.
Following weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and coordinated operations involving the Nigerian Army, police, Department of State Services, National Counter Terrorism Centre, local vigilantes, and the regional Amotekun security corps, security forces secured the release of all 44 surviving hostages.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah said a series of arrests in Oyo and neighboring states dismantled the kidnappers’ network, including their logistics chain, informants, and hideouts inside the Old Oyo National Park.
“These arrests completely disorganized the group, exerted overwhelming pressure on them and ultimately led the terrorist group to unconditionally release the pupils and teachers,” Jonah said.
The Nigerian government said no ransom was paid and no prisoner exchange took place. The abductors had demanded ₦20 million (about $31,750) for each student to be paid into a foreign bank account, the release of jailed members of their group, and two Toyota Hilux trucks.
Less than 24 hours after the rescued hostages returned, gunmen struck again in Oyo State, abducting 60-year-old Kolawale Mathew Owoade, popularly known as Onaiye, the headmaster of Nomadic Basic School in Igbojaye, Budo Aare, Itesiwaju county. The kidnappers are demanded a ₦30 million ransom for his release.
A Weekend of Bloodshed in the Middle Belt
But while families in Oyo celebrated emotional reunions, the Middle Belt had a bloody weekend.
In Benue State, at least 18 people were killed in separate attacks by Fulani ethnic militia in Otukpo county between Friday, July 10, and the early hours of Sunday, July 12.
The violence began on Friday when gunmen attacked Akpachi village, ambushing farmers in their fields and killing two of them.
Before residents could recover from that tragedy, the attackers returned shortly before dawn on Sunday, storming Otukpo-Nobi community at about 4:00 a.m. local time and opening fire on sleeping residents.
At least 16 people were killed, while several others suffered gunshot wounds. There are fears the death toll could rise as local volunteers and security personnel are continuing search operations in nearby bushes for missing residents.
The latest massacre ignited public outrage. Hundreds of youths marched through Otukpo on Sunday, carrying the bodies of some victims to the palace of the Och’Idoma—the traditional ruler of the Idoma people— demanding urgent government action to halt the recurring attacks.
Just hours earlier, neighboring Plateau State had witnessed an even more harrowing assault.
Around 11:00 p.m. Saturday, July 11, suspected Fulani militia stormed Kum community in Riyom county, firing indiscriminately for more than an hour.
Nine members of a single family, including a two-month-old infant, were killed. The village head was, among eight persons, critically wounded and remains in life-threatening condition.
“The gunmen came in large numbers, shooting everywhere. We could hear screams from the houses. They entered homes and slaughtered people. It was one of the deadliest attacks we have seen here in recent times,” resident Precious Tok told local media.
The massacre capped another deadly week for Plateau. Earlier, gunmen killed two residents in Torok community, also in Riyom, while another farmer was shot dead in Butura Gida village in neighboring Bokkos county on Tuesday, July 8.
For Plateau residents, the weekend massacre reopened wounds that have barely had time to heal.
Counteroffensive Across the North
Even as civilians paid a heavy price in the Middle Belt, Nigerian security forces recorded significant gains against terrorist and bandit groups during the week.
In northwest Zamfara State, local hunters and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force killed notorious bandit commander Kachalla Sani Yellow, one of the region’s most feared bandit kingpins.
Security sources described Yellow as one of the most influential bandit leaders operating across Anka, Bukkuyum, and Maru local government areas.
He was accused of coordinating numerous attacks on rural communities across northwest Nigeria, where armed gangs have terrorized residents through mass killings, kidnappings, and cattle rustling.
Separate joint operations by the military and police also disrupted coordinated bandit attacks in Gummi and Gusau counties.
On Wednesday, July 8, security forces rescued an official of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who had been abducted while transporting National Examinations Council (NECO) examination materials through Gummi county. Officers recovered the examination scripts intact, along with hundreds of rustled cattle that were later returned to their owners.
In a separate operation later that day, troops and police rescued several abducted motorists and farmers in Gusau after engaging fleeing bandits in a gun battle, forcing the attackers to abandon their captives.
Farther northeast, troops of Operation HADIN KAI repelled an attempted nighttime assault by fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on a military position at Cross Kauwa in Kukawa county of Borno State.
According to the military, the attack began at about 10:20 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, when the insurgents attempted to exploit the cover of darkness to breach the base. Alert troops responded with heavy firepower, killing at least six fighters and wounding several others before forcing the survivors to retreat.
Troops later recovered weapons, ammunition, terrorist uniforms, and a Sony camcorder believed to belong to one of the attackers.
Military authorities said preliminary forensic analysis of the recovered footage indicates that foreign operatives—including individuals identified as Palestinian and Moroccan nationals—may have been involved in training or coordinating elements of the terrorist network.
Two Nigerian soldiers were wounded during the firefight and were evacuated for treatment. The military said both remain in stable condition.
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