Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has alleged that the Oyo State Government orchestrated the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in parts of the state as part of a plot to embarrass President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Fayose made the allegation while speaking on a televised programme, where he questioned the response of the Oyo State Government to the incident and suggested that political considerations may have influenced its handling.
The former governor’s comments followed the kidnapping of pupils and teachers by gunmen in some local government areas of Oyo State on Friday, an incident that drew national attention and prompted a response from the Federal Government.
In the aftermath of the abduction, President Tinubu dispatched a high-powered delegation to the affected communities and assured residents that efforts were underway to secure the release of the victims.
Reacting to the development, Fayose argued that state governments bear primary responsibility for local security challenges and should not immediately shift attention to the Federal Government.
“Let me branch to Oyo State, before you get to the president in the hierarchy of leadership and governance, there is local government, there is state, state has security votes and there are people that are supposed to be working,” he said.
Fayose claimed that Governor Seyi Makinde failed to respond promptly to the incident, alleging that the governor prioritised political activities over addressing the crisis.
“In Oyo State, I strongly believe though I might be wrong but this sometimes might be orchestrated. The governor of Oyo State had his nomination and that of his candidates in the face of this abduction,” he said.
“He did not take any action, no steps were taken, it was after those nominations that he went to the families to visit them.”
The former governor further alleged that the incident may have been deliberately arranged to cast the Federal Government in a negative light.
“I sometimes believe that the abduction at Oyo School was orchestrated by the Oyo State Government to blackmail President Tinubu,” Fayose stated.
Neither Governor Makinde nor the Oyo State Government had immediately responded to the allegation at the time of filing this report.
The abduction has continued to generate reactions from political stakeholders and security analysts, with renewed calls for stronger measures to tackle insecurity and protect schools across the country.
