Students abducted in May by Islamic militants in Nigeria are rescued, government says

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Students abducted in May by Islamic militants in Nigeria's southwestern Oyo state have been rescued, the government said Friday.

Government spokesman Bayo Onanuga did not specify the total number of students rescued, but authorities said at the time of the abductions on May 15 that more than 40 people had been abducted. One of the teachers abducted alongside the students was killed shortly afterward.

Eight militants were arrested as part of the operation, while an unspecified number of the militants were killed, Onanuga said.

The abductions in a southern state had represented an escalation of the country’s security crisis because most such abductions previously had taken place in the north.

“This successful military operation has ended the siege and standoff of over 50 days and has brought relief to the entire nation and the affected families in particular," Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said in a statement.

In the same week as the Oyo abduction, dozens of children were kidnapped in Borno, the epicenter of Nigeria's security crisis.

Abductions at schools are common in Nigeria, where militant groups target them to put pressure on the government and extract ransoms.

In this photo released by Oyo state government House, Governor Seyi Makinde, right, visits a teacher abducted in May by Islamic militants, following her release at a hospital in southwestern Oyo, Nigeria, Saturday, July 11, 2026. (Oyo State government House via AP)

In this photo released by Oyo state government House, students abducted in May by Islamic militants received treatment at a hospital following their release in southwestern Oyo, Nigeria, Saturday, July 11, 2026. (Oyo State government House via AP)

In this photo released by Oyo state government House, Governor Seyi Makinde, left, visits a teacher abducted in May by Islamic militants, following her release at a hospital in southwestern Oyo, Nigeria, Saturday, July 11, 2026. (Oyo State government House via AP)

SYDNEY (AP) — Michael Cheika is set to return as head coach of the New South Wales Waratahs a dozen years after guiding the Sydney-based franchise to its only Super Rugby title.

The 59-year-old Cheika, who was Australia's head coach when the Wallabies reached the 2015 World Cup final in England, will start back at the Waratahs in November after coaching Lebanon at the Rugby League World Cup.

“The Waratahs have always occupied a special place for me — it’s my home state and I feel ready to return as head coach ahead of an important year for the Waratahs and also for Australian rugby in the lead up to the home Rugby World Cup,” Cheika said.

Cheika left the Wallabies' top job after a quarterfinal exit at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and then steered Argentina to the semifinals at the 2023 World Cup in France.

Cheika also had success at the club level in the northern hemisphere, guiding Leinster to the 2009 European Cup glory.

“He’s a proven winner and (has) a really good track record of success,” Waratahs high performance manager BJ Mather said. "We don’t want to hark back to 2014 all the time, but you know he’s the last Waratahs head coach to have won the Super Rugby (title), so he sees an opportunity here to try and build something again to make the Waratahs successful.”

The Waratahs have failed to reach the Super Rugby playoffs in the last three seasons under Dan McKellar and Darren Coleman.

See AP’s full rugby coverage here

FILE - Argentina's head coach Michael Cheika prior to the Rugby World Cup third place match between England and Argentina at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, file)