Oyo schools’ abductions: Bandits responsible will face full wrath of the law, Tinubu assures

Condemns killing of abducted Oyo teacher, vows rescue of others

Says recurring kidnapping incidents across Nigeria had strengthened case for establishment of state police structures nationwide

We will not give in to terror, Makinde declares

Emeka Agu with agency report

President Bola Tinubu has assured that bandits behind Oyo schools’ abductions will be fished out and made to face full wrath of the law.

This is even as he condemned as “barbaric” the reported killing of one of the abducted teachers from Esiele community in Oyo State, while rescue operations continue.

He said: “The bandits and all their local collaborators will be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law.”

Recall that Bandits invaded the Esiele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday and abducted some staff, students and pupils from three schools within the area.

The affected schools are Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, according to official reports from security authorities and the Oyo State Government.

This is contained in a statement issued by Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Monday in Abuja.

Tinubu said that security operatives were currently working round the clock to rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the bandits and their collaborators operating within the affected communities.

He sympathised with Gov. Seyi Makinde, the government and people of Oyo State over the incident and assured them of the Federal Government’s support in ongoing rescue efforts.

“I am saddened by the reported killing of one of the teachers kidnapped by the gunmen who invaded the community. I sympathise with Governor Seyi Makinde and commend the steps he has taken.

“I sympathise with the families of the kidnapped victims. The Federal Government is working with the Oyo State government to rescue all the victims,” the president said.

Tinubu also commended the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioners of Police in Oyo and Kwara states for their swift intervention following the attack.

The president disclosed that the IGP was personally leading what he described as a technology-driven operation aimed at rescuing the victims and tracking the criminals.

“The IGP, following my instructions, is personally leading the tech-driven operation. We expect a breakthrough soon.

“The bandits and all their local collaborators will be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law.”

Tinubu further stated that recurring kidnapping incidents across parts of the country had strengthened the case for the establishment of state police structures nationwide.

“Cases of kidnapping further make imperative the establishment of state police to man some of our underserved areas.

“The National Assembly should accelerate the enactment of the law creating state police,” he said.

Meanwhile, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that his administration will not surrender to terror following the abduction of students and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

Makinde, who spoke to journalists in Ibadan on Monday, maintained that the state would not bow to intimidation.

“We will not give in to terror. We will do everything possible to ensure that our children and their teachers are returned safely,” he stated.

He said the state government remained committed to exploring every lawful means to secure the release of the abducted students and teachers.

 “So, whatever it is they demand, we are ready to listen to them and address the ones we can address as a state government. But the children and their teachers must be released immediately,” he said.

The governor spoke after a high-level security review meeting with service commanders and security advisers over Friday’s attack at Ahoro Esinle Community in the Oriire Local Government Area.

He described the situation as “fluid and difficult”, noting that security agencies were conducting coordinated operations to rescue the victims.

The governor urged residents to support security efforts by providing timely and credible information.

“If you see something strange, say something, and expect us to do something,” he said.

Reflecting on the country’s worsening security situation, the governor lamented what he described as a decline in communal responsibility.

“We once had a country where we were each other’s brother’s keeper. How did we descend to this point? These are not foreign people; it is us against ourselves,” he said, referencing the revered novelist Chinua Achebe.

He also appealed to the media and the public to report developments responsibly.

“This is not something sensational. It involves lives,” Makinde said.