The family of 28-year-old Lt. Felix Ademe Isaac, the  Nigerian Army officer who died in the operation to rescue abducted teachers and pupils in Oyo State, has said that it is struggling to come to terms with the loss of their son.

According to reports, the young army officer was killed on July 10, 2026, while leading troops in the operation that secured the freedom of teachers and pupils abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

More than 40 pupils and teachers were kidnapped on May 15, 2026, from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School before being taken into the forest.

But there are conflicting reports of how the officer died. While some reports said his convoy struck explosives planted in the National Park area of Oyo State, others claimed he stepped on a landmine allegedly planted by Ansaru fighters identified as the group behind the abduction.

Born on August 25, 1997, Lt. Isaac was buried with full military honours at the 23rd Armoured Brigade Cemetery in Yola, Adamawa State, on July 10.

During a visit to the family’s residence in Bachure Quarters, Yola, by Daily Trust, his father, retired Master Warrant Officer Isaac Alabura, described the loss as devastating.

Describing his late son as “the hope of the family and the community,” Alabura said they had expected him to rise through the ranks of the military.

“It is natural to feel pain whenever you lose someone, even if it is an enemy.

“How much more brilliant, young officer whom our family and community looked up to?

“His life was cut short at a time we expected him to achieve greater things,” he said.

Alabura also expressed disappointment over how the family learned of his son’s death, saying neither the military authorities nor the Oyo State Government had officially briefed them on the circumstances surrounding the incident.

He, however, commended four serving and retired senior military officers whom he said ensured his son’s body was released and transported to Yola for burial despite attempts by some people to have him buried in Oyo State.

Recalling the events leading up to the operation, he said: “His death is deeply painful. He had just returned from training at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Jaji, Kaduna, and was preparing to report to Sokoto for another assignment.

“Around 3pm, he was instead directed to lead the rescue operation in Oyo.”

He appealed to the military authorities and the Oyo State Government to support the family, noting that the officer paid the ultimate price in service to the nation.

Lt. Isaac’s cousin, Tidwawa Nelson Eweh, described him as calm, intelligent and hardworking, saying he had been committed to serving Nigeria.

“When he decided to join the Nigerian Army, we all believed he would rise through the ranks and contribute to improving the country’s security. Sadly, that dream has been cut short.

“We have lost a beloved family member, and Nigeria has also lost a promising officer who still had so much to offer,” he said.

Eweh urged the military authorities and the Oyo State Government to remember the officer’s family and called for him to be immortalised in recognition of his sacrifice.

Lt. Isaac hailed from Kola Ward in Guyuk Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

The Nigerian Army, in a statement after the rescue operation, confirmed that security forces suffered casualties.

“It suffices to note that the operations were carefully planned and executed to avoid collateral damage and to equally ensure that the innocent children and teachers were safely rescued. However, there were some casualties on the part of the security forces,” the statement read.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde also paid tribute to personnel involved in the operation.

“Really grateful for the safe return of the children and teachers abducted from Oriire LGA 56 days ago. Our priority now is to ensure they are reunited with their families and support their rehabilitation afteqr this traumatic experience.

“We also commend the security agencies that took part in the rescue operations for their sacrifices. May the souls of those who paid the ultimate price rest in peace, and may God comfort their families,” he had said.

1. Reactions have trailed the disclosure by the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, that Nigerian soldiers now earn a minimum monthly salary of N100,000. Veterans and serving personnel described the amount as grossly inadequate.

This is as they accused President Bola Tinubu of failing to implement a salary increment he promised nearly four months ago.

2. A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting in Maitama has remanded the former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja. Justice Peter Kekemeke gave the remand order after Umar was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a four-count charge of conferring undue advantage on himself while serving as the chairman of the CCT.

3. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday arraigned the leader of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, over an alleged $2.33 million money laundering offence. Bodejo, who was earlier detained by the Department of State Services, DSS before being transferred to the EFCC, was arraigned on a 12-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering.

4. The Federal Government says it has doubled the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers from N49,000 to N100,000 in its latest effort to improve troop welfare and strengthen morale. Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, disclosed the salary review during an interview on TV. He described the development as one of the welfare improvements introduced by the current administration for military personnel.

5. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has declared that President Bola Tinubu approaches governance as a serious business that must succeed. A mindset he credited with the unprecedented infrastructural revolution sweeping the nation’s capital.

6. President Bola Tinubu on Thursday declined assent to two bills passed by the National Assembly, citing constitutional concerns and defects that require correction before the proposed legislation can become law.
The Senate was notified of the President’s decision through two separate letters read on the floor of the chamber by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

7. Houses of assembly in the 36 states will pass the State police Bill simultaneously when it is transmitted to them by the National Assembly, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun said yesterday. According to him, the governors had agreed on this course of action to quicken the phase of the establishment of State police.

8. President Bola Tinubu yesterday showered encomiums on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for his transformation of the nation’s capital. The President described the minister as a “man of action” and a “true driver” of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA). President Tinubu noted that Wike’s relentless dedication to infrastructural development has successfully transformed the face of the nation’s capital within a short period.

9. The Zamfara State Police Command says it has repelled coordinated bandit attacks in Gummi, Talata Mafara and Gusau Local Government Areas, rescuing an abducted staff member of the Independent National Electoral Commission and other captives while recovering hundreds of rustled cattle. The command’s spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday.

10. A Federal High Court in Calabar has awarded N100 million in damages against the Nigeria Police Force and other respondents over the torture and killing of a 22-year-old man, Onyekachi Mba. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu delivered the judgment on Thursday in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the applicant and deceased’s mother, Mrs Victoria Mba through her counsel, Chief Roland Ndubuka.

1. Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, says Peter Obi’s claims that he may not be alive for the 2027 elections were designed to “attract undue sympathy”.

In an interview with Chude Jideonwo, Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), accused the federal government of deliberately frustrating his means of livelihood and targeting opposition figures.

2. The Nigerian Army yesterday graduated 2,989 newly trained recruits at its Recruit Training Depot, Amasiri-Edda, in Ebonyi State, to boost counter-terrorism and other internal security operations across the country. The passing-out parade marked the graduation of the pioneer set trained at the depot, and came 12 days after the Army graduated 8,000 newly trained soldiers from the Nigerian Army Depot in Osogbo, Osun State.

3. The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar II, on Wednesday, called on all northern stakeholders to close ranks against the scourge of banditry, terrorism and kidnapping, declaring that security is a collective responsibility. Speaking during the 19th Northern Traditional And Governors meeting in Kaduna, the Sultan said the region could only overcome insecurity through unity and collaboration.

4. The operation was carried out by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, following credible intelligence on illegal activities around Okpokiri Community within the base’s area of operations. Acting on the intelligence, the Anti-Crude Oil Theft Team uncovered suspicious dugout pits concealed within the creek environment, prompting a detailed ground assessment.

5. The purported Director-General, DG, of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC, Prince Adeyemi Matthew has denied ever meeting Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila in person. He also denied any involvement in the scandalous N1.3b budgetary allocation to the fake agency, saying he was in police detention and knew nothing about it.

6. The Senate on Wednesday approved the 2026 budget proposal of the Nigerian Customs Service, endorsing a revenue target of N11.074tn and an expenditure estimate of N1.295tn for the 2026 fiscal year. The approval followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs during plenary.

7. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arraigned the immediate past Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, Ahmed Dikko, before the Federal High Court in Abuja, over an alleged N1.32bn money laundering scheme linked to the rehabilitation of the state-owned refinery. Dikko was docked before Justice Inyang Ekwo on a 12-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/360/2026 alongside Masterpiece Projects & Investment Limited

8. Operatives of the Bayelsa State Police Command have arrested a 68-year-old man and his son for allegedly being in unlawful possession of four single-barrel guns along the Igbogene–Tombia Expressway in Yenagoa. This was disclosed in a statement issued and signed by Police Public Relations Officer DSP Musa Mohammed on Wednesday.

9. President Bola Tinubu has welcomed former Sokoto State governorship candidate, Sa’idu Umar Ubandoma, back to the All Progressives Congress, describing his return as a positive development for the party. Ubandoma was received by the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday night after being presented by the APC leader in Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, following his recent defection to the ruling party.

10. Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday endorsed the establishment of state police, urging nationwide constitutional reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture. Lawmakers also called on the 36 State Houses of Assembly to expedite consideration and approval of the Constitution Alteration Bill on state policing.