The management, staff, and students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, have erupted in celebration following the successful and safe rescue of over 40 schoolchildren and their teachers in Oyo State. The victims, who spent 56 agonizing days in the custody of their abductors, were freed unharmed from the dense thickets of the Old Oyo National Park, bringing a definitive end to a harrowing national security crisis.

The mass abduction originally occurred during a coordinated and ruthless raid on three educational institutions within the Oriire Local Government Area of the state. Heavily armed gunmen had stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, alongside L.A. Primary School and Community Grammar School both located in Ahoro-Esienle, forcefully carting away the young pupils and their instructors into the forest.

In an official statement issued by the University’s Registrar, Olayinka Balogun, the institution described the safe return of the hostages as a monumental relief that has effectively erased months of mounting anxiety, trauma, and grief. The university community had been heavily invested in the crisis, as the classroom raid directly shattered the peace of the institution`s immediate ecosystem and local populace.

The trauma of the incident hit remarkably close to home for the apex socio-educational institution, which altered the atmosphere on campus for nearly two months. The registrar disclosed that the university shared directly in the agonizing grief of the victims` families, particularly because the legally wedded spouses of two active LAUTECH staff members were among those forcefully taken by the bandits.

Expressing boundless joy over the safe extraction of the hostages, Balogun noted that the university community is profoundly grateful that the victims have finally regained their long-denied freedom. The institution emphasized that the survivors can now properly begin the delicate process of emotional healing while reuniting with their families, academic colleagues, and the wider Ogbomoso community.

LAUTECH further used the avenue to highly commend the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, and the combined team of security forces for their tactical synergy and unyielding roles in securing the victims’ ultimate release. The institution specifically acknowledged the political willpower and leadership of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde in managing the sensitive hostage situation.

The university praised the immense courage, tactical precision, and high level of professionalism displayed by the military and police personnel involved in the high-stakes rescue operation. According to the management, the success of the mission strongly underscores the vital importance of collective community vigilance and vividly demonstrates the resilience of the Nigerian nation when facing severe adversity.

Concluding the official dispatch, LAUTECH reaffirmed its total solidarity with the rescued schoolchildren, their traumatized families, and the entire people of the Oriire local government domain. The university reiterated its institutional commitment to supporting all strategic national initiatives aimed at promoting public safety, lasting peace, and the absolute protection of educational institutions across Nigeria.