Oyo assures rescue of abducted students after school attack
Quick Read
Lawal stated that the exact number of abducted persons had yet to be confirmed, stressing that figures being circulated in the media were inaccurate.
The Oyo State Government on Sunday assured residents of Oriire Local Government Area that students and staff abducted during Friday’s attack on schools in the area would be rescued safely.
The assurance was given by the Deputy Governor, Adebayo Lawal, who led a government delegation on a condolence visit to affected communities, while also dismissing figures of abducted victims circulating in the media as unverified.
Lawal stated that the exact number of abducted persons had yet to be confirmed, stressing that figures being circulated in the media were inaccurate.
“Until we do proper verification, we cannot put a figure to those abducted. For now, figures circulating in the media cannot be taken as correct,” Lawal said.
The State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday and made available to journalists in Ibadan.
Oyelade said the delegation visited Yawota and Esiele in Oriire South, where armed men attacked several schools and abducted students and staff members.
The commissioner said the team also met with families of the victims and assured them of the government’s commitment to securing the safe release of those abducted.
According to the statement, the deputy governor said during the visit that the state government under Governor Seyi Makinde responded swiftly after the incident, adding that security agencies engaged the suspected kidnappers in the bush, leading to the neutralisation of about three of them.
“We have pacified the residents and given assurances that those abducted will be rescued and brought back,” Lawal told journalists after visiting victims at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital and Bowen University Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso.
According to the deputy governor, the attackers struck Esiele and Yawota around Ahorodada, abducting pupils and staff from LA Basic School, Ahoro Esiele, Community High School and a private primary school.
Lawal said the state immediately deployed logistical and operational support to assist security agencies in responding to the attack and ensuring that injured victims received treatment.
He, however, noted that the incident indicated that bandits were operating close to communities, especially around the fringes of forest reserves.
He said the government would continue strengthening security architecture in vulnerable areas, including Saki West, Saki East, Irepo, Iseyin, Ibarapa, Igbeti and Oriire.
“We are asking residents to remain vigilant. If you notice any unusual movement, report it to security agencies so that prompt action can be taken,” Lawal said.
The deputy governor confirmed that one resident and a teacher lost their lives in the attack, adding that the actual number of abducted persons had not been verified as of the time of filing the report.
He, however, directed the chairmen of Oriire and Surulere Local Government Areas to submit comprehensive reports by Monday morning.
Lawal further disclosed that security personnel, including the Garrison Commander, police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as local hunters, were still combing the bush in pursuit of the attackers.
The deputy governor warned that the Oyo State Government would not tolerate banditry, reiterating that, “Oyo State is not giving an inch for banditry and criminality. The government is doing everything required to ensure adequate security so that citizens can live in peace.”
The delegation included the Commissioner for Education, Segun Olayiwola; Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade; Chairman of the Oyo State Project Performance Monitoring Agency, Muftau Open Salawu; and the Special Adviser on Security Matters, Sunday Odukoya, among others.
Comments