Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has assured that his administration will ensure the safe return of the schoolchildren and teachers abducted by gunmen in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15. He said this on Tuesday while addressing protesters led by social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, at the Oyo State Government House in Ibadan.
Makinde said security agencies are carrying out a delicate operation to secure the release of the victims without casualties, stressing that the operation to rescue them is a special kind of operation if they do not want to lose any of those children.
The governor said the government would not negotiate with the abductors, warning that doing so would amount to surrendering the state’s authority to criminal groups.
Last Friday, the governor had said intelligence reports indicated that the abductees were still being held within the old Oyo National Park, an area covering about 2,500 square kilometres across parts of ten local government areas, making rescue efforts difficult due to the size and difficult terrain posing significant operational challenges for security personnel.
Also Read: UN-backed court begins trial of ex-CAR president François Bozizé in absentia
Leave feedback about this
You must be logged in to post a comment.