Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said the abduction of pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area occurred just hours after he declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, describing the incident as the first of its kind in the state since he assumed office seven years ago.
Makinde made the remark on Friday while addressing a meeting with Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and leaders of the Allied Peoples Movement in Bauchi.
Reflecting on the sequence of events, the governor said Oyo State had enjoyed relative peace from such attacks before the May 15 abduction.
“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.
Hours after his remarks, the Presidency announced that all the abducted pupils and teachers had regained their freedom after spending 56 days in captivity.
According to the Presidency, the victims were rescued during a coordinated operation involving the military, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force.
It disclosed that eight suspected kidnappers were arrested and are currently in the custody of the DSS, while several other members of the gang were neutralised during the operation.
The Presidency also stated that there was no negotiation or exchange with the abductors, despite their demand for the release of one of their detained kingpins who is facing prosecution.
Reacting to the successful operation, Makinde expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and the security agencies for securing the release of the victims.
He described the development as a major relief to the affected families and residents of Oyo State.
“This is a big relief for the families of the victims and the people of Oyo State,” the governor said, adding that the rescue had brought an end to weeks of anxiety following the abduction of pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
President Tinubu also commended the military, the DSS and the police for rescuing the victims without collateral damage. He further directed relevant emergency agencies to work with the Oyo State Government to provide medical attention and other necessary support for the rescued pupils and teachers.
Makinde had formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on May 14 during a joint rally of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Allied Peoples Movement in Ibadan, where he pledged to “reset Nigeria.”
He was later returned as the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement after emerging as the party’s consensus candidate at its primary election.
