THE Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Economic Affairs, Tope Fasua, has claimed that a joint security operation led to the rescue of all 42 schoolchildren and seven teachers abducted from the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
In a now deleted Facebook post published in the early hours of Thursday, June 4, Fasua credited a combined team of the Nigerian Army, the Police, and a newly deployed force of 1,000 forest rangers for locating the bandits’ hideout deep in the forest, using advanced drone surveillance.
He further wrote that Tinubu congratulated the nation’s security agencies, describing the development as a “turning point” in the fight against banditry. Fasua alleged that the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) subsequently called off an ongoing solidarity strike.
His post came shortly before a planned protest by the Take It Back Movement and led by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore around the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
READ: Presidency goofs, falsely accuses VDM over doctored ‘Tinubu audio’
CLAIM
A Facebook post by Presidential Aide Tope Fasua claims a joint security operation has led to the rescue of all 42 schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
On May 15, armed men abducted 42 schoolchildren and seven teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, triggering a large-scale security response within the state and protests across Nigeria.
The incident, which occurred amid rising concerns over increasing terrorist attacks on schools in Nigeria, led to the deployment of joint security teams to comb nearby forests and possible escape routes in search of the victims.
Authorities, including the Oyo State Police Command, have since confirmed that coordinated search and rescue operations are ongoing, with security agencies working to track down the abductors and safely recover the captives.
The incident has also prompted public concern and renewed calls for stronger protection of schools, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas vulnerable to criminal attacks.
While intensive and coordinated rescue operations are ongoing, Fasua’s claim that the victims have been freed and reunited with their families, while Tinubu hailed security agencies for the rescue is entirely fabricated.
The Oyo State Police Command has debunked the viral claim in an emergency public notice published on June 4.
In a statement released by the command, the police urged the public to disregard the report, confirming that no such rescue operation had been finalised and that the details contained in the post were false.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no confirmation from authorities or credible media platforms indicating the abductees’ release.
VERDICT
The claim by Presidential Aide Tope Fasua that the 42 abducted Oyo schoolchildren and their teachers have been rescued is false.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
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