Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has assured residents that the schoolchildren and teachers abducted in the state will be rescued, saying the government is making every effort to secure their safe release.
The governor gave the assurance while addressing social media activist VeryDarkMan and other protesters at the Oyo State Government House, according to a video that surfaced on Tuesday.
Makinde said he shares the pain and anxiety of families affected by the incident, noting that the victims, including nursery and primary school pupils, 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,” he said.
He explained that due to the sensitive nature of the operation, he could not reveal details of the ongoing efforts to rescue the victims.
“Because of the nature of the security situation that is involved, I cannot divulge a lot of information,” the governor stated.
Makinde described the abduction as unprecedented, noting that it was the first time such young children had been kidnapped in Nigeria.
“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.
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He stressed that the priority of the state government was to ensure that all the children return home alive and unharmed.
“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 added.
The governor also acknowledged that the state was maintaining communication with the abductors, describing it as an extraordinary step taken to preserve the lives of the victims.
“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 expressed confidence that the victims would be rescued and promised that measures would be put in place to prevent a similar incident in the future.
“Once the children are out, I give you the assurance that it will not occur again,” he said.
