By Hadiza Mohammed, Northern Operation
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has suggested that the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area may have been connected to his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election, revealing that the incident occurred less than 24 hours after he publicly declared his ambition.
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.
According to the governor, Oyo State had not witnessed a similar kidnapping throughout his seven years in office until shortly after he announced his presidential bid.
“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.
The governor had declared his intention to seek the presidency on May 14 during a joint rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APM in Ibadan, where he pledged to “reset Nigeria.”
He later emerged as the APM’s consensus presidential candidate.
The abduction took place on May 15, with gunmen kidnapping pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, sparking widespread concern and a prolonged security operation.
Hours after Makinde’s comments in Bauchi, the Presidency announced that all the abducted victims had been rescued after spending 56 days in captivity.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga disclosed that the successful operation was carried out jointly by the military, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force.
According to him, eight suspected kidnappers were arrested and are currently in DSS custody, while several other members of the gang were neutralised during the operation.
He added that the rescue was achieved without the payment of ransom or any prisoner exchange, despite the kidnappers’ reported demand for the release of a detained gang leader.
Reacting to the development, Makinde expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, the service chiefs and the security agencies for securing the victims’ freedom.
He described the rescue as “a big relief” for the affected families and the people of Oyo State.
President Tinubu also commended the security agencies for executing the operation without collateral damage and directed relevant emergency agencies to work with the Oyo State Government to provide medical care, rehabilitation and other necessary support for the rescued pupils and teachers.
