‘I Declared For President, Then The Abduction Happened’ — Makinde
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has suggested that the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area came hours after he declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
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.
Recalling the May 15 abduction, the governor noted that Oyo State had not recorded a similar school kidnapping throughout his seven years in office until the incident.
“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.
His comments came hours after the successful release of all the abducted pupils and teachers, bringing an end to their 56-day ordeal in captivity.
According to the Presidency, the victims regained their freedom during a coordinated operation involving the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force.
The Presidency disclosed that eight suspected kidnappers were arrested, while several others were neutralised during the operation.
It also maintained that security agencies neither negotiated with the abductors nor released any detained kingpin in exchange for the victims, despite the kidnappers’ demands.
Reacting to the development, Makinde expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, the military, the DSS, the police and other security agencies for their efforts in securing the victims’ release.
Describing the development as “a big relief,” the governor said the successful operation had ended weeks of anxiety for the affected families and the people of Oyo State following the abduction of pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
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