Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said his administration is doing everything possible to rescue the seven teachers and an as-yet-unconfirmed number of pupils abducted in Ahoro Dada Community, Oriire Local Government Area of the state, on Friday.
The governor stated this after holding a security review meeting with his security advisers and service commanders on Sunday.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the meeting, Governor Makinde expressed sympathy to the families of the victims, noting that reports confirmed the abduction of seven teachers, while the exact number of abducted pupils had yet to be ascertained.
He also confirmed the killing of one of the teachers and condoled with the victim’s family. The governor equally sympathised with members of the tactical team made up of soldiers, Amotekun Corps operatives and local vigilantes, who encountered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by the abductors during efforts to rescue the victims.
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Makinde said the injured security personnel were responding positively to treatment, adding that the government would spare no expense in ensuring their full recovery.
The governor explained that the state had resolved to deploy both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies in addressing the crisis. According to him, while security forces continue direct operations against the abductors, relatives of the victims, religious leaders and other stakeholders must remain patient as efforts intensify to secure the safe return of those abducted.
He said: “We just finished a review of the security situation in the local government area where the abduction of some teachers and schoolchildren took place.
“First, let me appeal to the affected families that their government is working round the clock to ensure that we tackle this challenge. For our troops and service commanders, we have a few wounded soldiers, hunters and other operatives. They are recovering.
“The government will continue to take responsibility for ensuring that they fully recover and that their medical bills are taken care of.
“What we know right now is that seven teachers were abducted. Unfortunately, we received a video this morning indicating that one of the teachers, understood to be the Mathematics teacher, was killed by the terrorists. Our prayers are with the family.
“We have decided that we will adopt not only the kinetic approach. There have been a lot of threats and rising tensions, especially among community leaders, elders and religious leaders. We have heard and seen your reactions, and I want to assure everyone that we are not taking this situation lightly.
“I want to appeal to all citizens and residents, particularly those in Oriire Local Government and across Oyo State, that we are doing everything within our power to resolve this situation quickly and bring our children back safely. However, we must recognise that this is a difficult and challenging situation.
“So, please, there may not be quick fixes, but we will continue to push ourselves to the limit to resolve this as quickly as possible.”
While responding to questions from journalists, Governor Makinde disclosed that the government had already mobilised tactical teams comprising policemen, Amotekun operatives, soldiers, hunters and other non-state actors to pursue the abductors. He, however, noted that one of the teams suffered a setback after running into IEDs planted by the terrorists.
Despite this, the governor said some progress had been recorded, with several suspects already arrested in connection with the incident.
“Well, from the information available from the Commissioner of Police, about six individuals have been arrested within the locality. Some of them, we believe, are informants or individuals handling logistics for the terrorists. Also, three persons of interest have been arrested by another security outfit within the state,” he said.
On collaboration with neighbouring states to curb the movement of terrorists into Oyo State, the governor explained that sustained military pressure on terrorists and bandits in the North-West and North-East was forcing many of them southward.
“We must appreciate the fact that with the pressure on terrorists and bandits in the North-West and North-East, they will keep moving southwards. The Governor of Kwara State has spoken to me, but the reality is that when pressure is mounted in one area, we must also be prepared here to repel or neutralise any terrorists fleeing those pressure points,” Makinde added.
Assuring residents of his administration’s commitment to securing every part of the state, the governor said: “We will keep pushing and retooling our security architecture to protect vulnerable locations, whether schools, factories or even citizens travelling from one place to another.”
He also assured residents that the government would provide daily briefings on progress made in the ongoing rescue operation.
