Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has assured residents that the schoolchildren and teachers abducted in the state will be rescued, stressing that his administration is committed to securing their safe return.
The governor gave the assurance while addressing social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, and other protesters at the Oyo State Government House, according to a video that surfaced online on Tuesday.
Expressing concern over the prolonged captivity of the victims, Makinde said he personally shares the pain and anxiety being experienced by the affected families, noting that the abducted nursery and primary school pupils, alongside their teachers, have spent more than a month in captivity.
“I am also distressed because I have children of my own. I’m also distressed with what has happened to our children. It has been one month, just one month and one day already,” the governor said.
Makinde explained that the sensitive nature of the ongoing security operation prevented him from revealing specific details, but assured the public that intensive efforts were underway to secure the victims’ freedom.
“Because of the nature of the security situation that is involved, I cannot divulge a lot of information,” he stated.
The governor described the abduction as an unusual and deeply troubling development, noting that it was the first known case in Nigeria involving the kidnapping of nursery and primary school children under such circumstances.
“This is the first time anywhere in Nigeria that they have abducted nursery and primary school children. These are children that cannot even run or do anything for themselves. So, the operation to rescue them is a special type of operation,” he said.
He stressed that the government’s priority is to rescue the victims without any loss of life, adding that security agencies are carefully handling the situation to avoid putting the children at further risk.
“I don’t want to lose any of those children. I give you the assurance that I, as the governor, by God’s grace, will bring out those children,” Makinde assured.
The governor also acknowledged that authorities were maintaining communication with the abductors, describing the approach as an exceptional measure dictated by the unique circumstances of the case.
“If governments are negotiating with bandits, it means portraying great sovereignty to the bandits. In this special situation, for those children alive, we have to bear the burden,” he said.
Makinde further pledged that once the victims are safely rescued, additional security measures would be introduced to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future.
“Once the children are out, I give you the assurance that it will not occur again,” he added.
The governor’s remarks came amid growing public concern and calls for intensified efforts to secure the release of the abducted pupils and their teachers, whose continued captivity has drawn widespread attention across the country.
