Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared that his administration will not surrender to terror following the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, even as he said the government was prepared to listen to the demands of the abductors to secure the safe release of the victims.
Makinde made the declaration while addressing Governor’s Office correspondents at his Kolapo Ishola residence, Ibadan, on Monday, on the ongoing rescue efforts after gunmen attacked three schools and abducted pupils and teachers last Friday.
The governor confirmed that seven students were abducted from Community Secondary School, while 18 children and seven teachers were kidnapped from First Baptist Primary and Nursery School, disclosing that one person was killed during the attack.
“Now we are able to confirm conclusively that at the Community Secondary School, about seven students were abducted, while at the First Baptist Primary and Nursery School, 18 children were abducted and about seven teachers were also involved. And unfortunately, like I reported yesterday, one of them was killed,“ Makinde said.
He stated that security operations to rescue the victims were still ongoing, describing the situation as “fluid and difficult”.
“The operation is still ongoing. Yes, it is still a very fluid and difficult situation that our troops on the ground are faced with,” the governor said.
Makinde appealed to journalists and the public to avoid sensationalising the incident, noting that lives were at stake.
“This is not something sensational. It involves lives. So please, if you are not clear about anything, you can ask us and we will gladly volunteer the information,” he said.
He disclosed that the government had established an operational centre at the state Police Headquarters to coordinate information relating to the rescue mission.
“We have set up an operational centre at the Police Headquarters here. So the Commissioner of Police in the state will be in a position to give you the required information.“
“At this stage, due to the complexity of the operation going on, we may not be able to volunteer too much information. But we will definitely call you if something significant comes up,“ he added.
Speaking on reports surrounding the state government’s procurement of surveillance aircraft, Makinde said the aircraft had already arrived in Nigeria and were currently being reassembled at the Nigerian Air Force base in Lagos by manufacturers from China.
“The surveillance aircraft have arrived in the country. As of today, they are at the Nigerian Air Force hangar in Lagos being reassembled.“
“The manufacturers from China arrived in the country about three days ago. They should have about two weeks roughly to finish their work. So I can say conclusively that those surveillance aircraft will be in operation before the end of June,“ he said.
The governor explained that the aircraft were procured as part of proactive efforts to strengthen security around the border areas between Oyo State and Kwara State, as well as the international border between the state and the Republic of Benin.
“We were proactive. We wanted to be able to cover the borderline between our state and Kwara State, and also the international border between our state and the Republic of Benin.“
“However, we did not know this would happen at this stage. We did not procure the aircraft because we had this kind of incident in mind,“ he said.
Makinde added that interested persons could visit the Nigerian Air Force base in Lagos to inspect the surveillance aircraft and ongoing work on them.
Responding to concerns about rising tension among residents following the abductions, the governor assured the people that his administration remained committed to securing lives and property across the state.
“My charge to them is that their government will continue to be alive to its responsibilities to ensure that we have a safe and secure environment where people can go about pursuing their lawful endeavours.“
“Yes, this is a blot, but we are doing everything within our power to ensure that normalcy returns and also, by God’s grace, that the children and teachers abducted are returned as quickly as possible,“ he said.
On whether the government had established communication with the abductors to understand their grievances, Makinde stressed the need for citizens to support security agencies with timely information.
“What I can say first and foremost is that the citizens and residents of every area in Oyo State must also give timely information to the government.“
“For me, I would just say, if you see something strange, say something, and then expect us to do something. We will keep engaging with the citizens,“ he said.
The governor, however, maintained that while the government would not capitulate to criminal elements, it remained open to dialogue to save the victims.
“To the group, all I can say is that as a government, we will not give in to terror. We will do everything to ensure that our children and their teachers are returned safely.”
He added: “Whatever it is they demand, we are ready to listen to them and address the ones that we can address as a state government. But the children and their teachers must be released.”
Lamenting the state of insecurity in the country, Makinde said Nigerians must reflect on how society had deteriorated to the point where citizens now prey on one another.
“We once had a country where we were each other’s brothers’ keepers. How did we descend to this point? These are not foreign people. It is us against ourselves,” the governor said.
