Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said the abduction of pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area occurred only hours after he declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Makinde made the remark on Friday while addressing a meeting with Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and leaders of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, in Bauchi.
The governor said Oyo State had not witnessed such an incident in his seven years in office before the May 15 attack.
“For seven years, we didn’t witness anything like this in Oyo State. I declared to run for the presidency of Nigeria at four o’clock, and by 9 a.m. the following morning, the children were abducted,” Makinde said.
Hours after the governor’s remarks, the Presidency announced that the abducted pupils and teachers had regained their freedom after spending 56 days in captivity.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the victims were freed through a joint security operation involving the military, the Department of State Services, DSS, and the police.
According to the Presidency, eight suspected kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while several others were neutralised during the operation.
Onanuga also said there was no negotiation or exchange to secure the victims’ release, despite the abductors’ demand for the release of one of their detained kingpins.
“There was no quid pro quo in the rescue as one of the terrorists, a kingpin, that the kidnappers demanded his release, is being prosecuted for his atrocities. The security agencies will give full account soon,” Onanuga stated.
Following the rescue, Makinde expressed relief and thanked President Bola Tinubu, the military, the police, the DSS and other security agencies for securing the victims’ freedom.
The governor described the rescue as a major relief for the affected families and the people of Oyo State, saying it brought an end to weeks of anxiety following the abduction of pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire.
The victims were abducted on May 15 when gunmen attacked schools in Esiele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area. The affected schools included Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School.
Earlier reports said 39 pupils and seven teachers were among those abducted, while one of the teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was killed by the attackers.
President Tinubu also commended security agencies for the rescue and directed emergency agencies to work with the Oyo State Government to provide medical care and other support for the rescued pupils and teachers.
Makinde formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on May 14 at a joint rally of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Allied Peoples Movement in Ibadan, where he announced his ambition to “reset Nigeria.”
He later emerged as the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement after running as its consensus candidate.
The governor’s latest comment is expected to generate further political debate, especially as the rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers comes amid rising security concerns and early realignments ahead of the 2027 general election.
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