Governor Seyi Makinde has assured residents of Oyo State that the government remains fully committed to securing the release of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area, declaring that no effort is being spared to bring them home safely.
The governor gave the assurance while addressing protesters led by social media personality VeryDarkMan at the Oyo State Government House, Ibadan, in a video that surfaced on Tuesday.
Speaking emotionally about the ordeal, Makinde said the prolonged captivity of the victims had deeply affected him as both a governor and a parent. He noted that the abducted children, many of whom are nursery and primary school pupils, had spent more than a month in the hands of their captors.
“I am also distressed because I have children of my own. I’m also distressed with what has happened to our children. It has been one month, just one month and one day already,” Makinde said.
The governor explained that the delicate nature of the rescue operation prevented him from revealing details of the strategies being employed by security agencies. Nevertheless, he stressed that intensive efforts were ongoing behind the scenes.
“Because of the nature of the security situation that is involved, I cannot divulge a lot of information,” he stated.
Makinde described the incident as particularly troubling because of the age of the victims, saying the abduction represented an unprecedented challenge unlike previous kidnapping cases recorded in the country.
“This is the first time anywhere in Nigeria that they have abducted nursery and primary school children. These are children that cannot even run or do anything for themselves. So, the operation to rescue them is a special type of operation,” he said.
The governor reiterated that the safety of the children remained the government’s top priority and emphasized that every decision being taken was aimed at ensuring they return alive and unharmed.
“I don’t want to lose any of those children. I give you the assurance that I, as the governor, by God’s grace, will bring out those children,” he added.
Makinde also confirmed that communication channels had been opened with the abductors, describing the step as a difficult but necessary measure under the circumstances.
“If governments are negotiating with bandits, it means portraying great sovereignty to the bandits. In this special situation, for those children alive, we have to bear the burden,” he said.
While expressing confidence that the crisis would soon be resolved, the governor assured residents that lessons from the incident would lead to stronger security measures to prevent a repeat occurrence.
“Once the children are out, I give you the assurance that it will not occur again,” Makinde stated.
The governor’s remarks come amid growing public concern over the fate of the abducted pupils and teachers, with families, civil society groups and community leaders continuing to call for urgent action to secure their freedom and strengthen protection for schools across the state.
(Ripples)