Oyo State Government has alerted parents in the state to be wary of the new tactic kidnappers are using to abduct students in the state.
The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs A. B Atere, said in a circular dated October 27, 2021 and forwarded to public and private schools in the state that kidnappers now wore uniforms similar to uniforms of pupils in their cars and offered free ride to unsuspecting pupils.
The circular with Ref No: EDU 215 T18/166 was titled: ‘Need to be security conscious and reject free rides offered by strangers’ and addressed to the state chairmen of Teaching Service Commission and State Universal Basic Education Board, among others and drawing the attention of all stakeholders and members of society to the new trick of kidnapping.
She said this new method of crime was being used by the criminals to kidnap pupils while calling on headmasters, teachers and proprietors to warn their children and students against accepting free rides from strangers.
The circular read, “The kidnappers wear a similar uniform as the child(ren) in their car and offer to help unsuspecting school children to their school. Once the innocent children board the vehicle; they zoom off to unknown destinations.
“Consequent upon the above, all stakeholders are enjoined to sensitise/warn their wards or children under their care on the need to be security conscious and reject free rides offered by strangers.”
A parent in a private secondary school in Ibadan told our correspondent that the circular sent to the proprietor of the school was circulated on the WhatsApp platform for parents.
Efforts to find out if the police were aware of the new trick were unsuccessful as the Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, did not answer calls to his phone, neither did he reply to WhatsApp messages sent to him on the matter.
