The Senate has approved a ₦50 million donation to the families of teachers and security personnel who lost their lives during the abduction of schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary, as lawmakers commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian Armed Forces, and other security agencies for their efforts in rescuing the abducted pupils and their teacher.
Under the intervention, each of the five affected families will receive ₦10 million to support the children and other dependents left behind by the deceased.
“We’re extending a token of ₦50 million to be divided among the five deceased families—the families of the two teachers and the families of the three operatives who lost their lives—₦10 million each,” Akpabio said.
Among those killed were two of the three teachers abducted during the attack. Michael Oyedokun was reportedly beheaded while in captivity, while Pastor John Olaleye also lost his life before the rescue operation was carried out.
Three security personnel were equally killed during separate gun battles with the kidnappers. They were identified as Lieutenant F. A. Isaac of the Nigerian Army, Private Silas Musa of the 81 Battalion, Nigerian Army, and Sergeant Abena John Jerome of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Senate President expressed condolences to the bereaved families and directed the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, to supervise the presentation of the donation cheques.
The abducted schoolchildren and their teacher regained their freedom on July 10, 2026, following a coordinated rescue operation involving the military and other security agencies after spending 56 days in captivity.
During an earlier plenary session, senators observed a minute of silence in honour of the deceased teachers and security personnel while paying tribute to their sacrifices.
The lawmakers also urged Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to exercise caution over calls for international intervention into the incident, arguing that inviting foreign organisations, including the United Nations, to investigate the abduction could undermine ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to address insecurity across the country.
