The Oyo State Government has officially paid tribute to nine individuals, comprising four civilians and five military and security personnel, who lost their lives during the abduction of students and teachers and the subsequent rescue operation in Oriire Local Government Area (LGA).
In a memorial message shared on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, through its official X, formerly Twitter, account, the state government publicly identified each of the deceased, describing them as those who “lost their lives during the Ahoro-Esinle and Yawota, Oriire Local Government Area abduction incident.”
The civilians recognised in the tribute are Michael Oyedokun, John Olaleye, Joel Adesiyan, and Oluwasegun Akanni. Also honoured were military and security personnel Lieutenant Felix Ademe Isaac, Adigun Saibu, Isa Saliu, Rafiu Ayuba, and an unnamed soldier.
It will be recalled that on May 15, 2026, armed men kidnapped 46 students and staff members from two primary schools and one secondary school in Oyo State.
Among those abducted were children aged between two and 16 years. A teacher was reportedly killed shortly after the attackers carried out the abduction.
The Federal Government blamed the incident on insurgents, describing it as a troubling spread of large scale school kidnappings into Nigeria’s South West, a region that had largely avoided the wave of attacks that ravaged communities across the North East over the past decade.
Fifty six days after the abduction, President Bola Tinubu announced that all the kidnapped students and teachers had been successfully rescued.
In a statement, the president said he was “profoundly happy” with the outcome and disclosed that eight of the attackers had been arrested while an unspecified number were killed during the operation.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga confirmed via X that every one of the hostages had been accounted for.
Makinde honours fallen Oriire heroes
Based off reports, the Oyo State Government’s memorial post represents the state’s formal recognition of the sacrifices made by those who paid the ultimate price before and during the rescue mission.
While we express gratitude for the safe return of the children and teachers abducted from Oriire LGA, we also wish to honour those who lost their lives.
We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families. We commit to supporting them during this trying period. May their… pic.twitter.com/QjWgR9WjPA— Oyo State Government (@oyostategovt) July 15, 2026
The list of the fatalities associated with the Oriire kidnapping and rescue is highlighted below:
1. Michael Oyedokun
2. Deacon John Olaleye
3. Joel Adesiyan
4. Oluwasegun Akanni
5. Lieutenant Felix Ademe Isaac
6. Adigun Saibu
7. Isa Saliu
8. Rafiu Ayuba
9. An unnamed soldier
