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Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has assured residents that the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in the state will be rescued safely, declaring that his administration is deploying every available measure to secure their freedom.
Makinde gave the assurance on Tuesday while addressing social media influencer, VeryDarkMan, and other protesters at the Oyo State Government House in a video that has since circulated widely online.
The governor said he was deeply troubled by the abduction, noting that the victims—comprising nursery and primary school pupils as well as their teachers—had remained in captivity for more than a month.
“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,” Makinde said.
He explained that due to the delicate nature of the ongoing security operation, he could not disclose details of efforts being made to secure the release of the victims.
“Because of the nature of the security situation that is involved, I cannot divulge a lot of information,” he stated.
Describing the incident as unprecedented, the governor said it marked the first known case in Nigeria where nursery and primary school children had been abducted 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.
Makinde stressed that the government’s priority was to ensure the safe rescue of all the victims without loss of life.
“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,” he declared.
The governor also revealed that the state government had established communication with the abductors, describing the move as an extraordinary step taken in the interest of saving the children.
“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.
Expressing optimism that the victims would soon regain their freedom, Makinde pledged that stronger measures would be introduced to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
“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 urgent action over the prolonged captivity of the schoolchildren and their teachers, with residents urging authorities to intensify efforts to bring the victims home safely.
