Governor Seyi Makinde on Monday night gave a fresh press briefing on the recent school kidnapping incident in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, saying rescue operations were still ongoing and describing the situation as “fluid and difficult” for security operatives.
Addressing journalists during the briefing, the governor said authorities had been able to establish figures from the affected schools, noting that seven students were abducted from Community Secondary School, while 18 children were taken from First Baptist Calvary Nursery and Primary School.
Makinde also stated that about seven teachers were involved in the incident, while one person earlier reported missing had been confirmed dead.
“And now we are able to confirm conclusively that at the Community Secondary School, about seven students were abducted while at the First Baptist Calvary Nursery and School, 18 children were abducted and the teachers involved were about seven of them,” he said.
“And unfortunately, like I reported yesterday, one of them was killed,” the governor added.
He stressed that the operation to rescue the victims had not ended, noting that security personnel were still working under difficult conditions in the affected areas.
“The operation is still ongoing. Yes, it is still a very fluid and difficult situation that our troops on ground are faced with,” Makinde said.
The governor appealed to journalists and members of the public to exercise caution in reporting and discussing the incident, emphasizing that lives were involved and that inaccurate or sensational reports could complicate ongoing operations.
“This is not something sensational. It involves lives. So please, if you are not clear about anything, you can ask us and we will gladly volunteer the information,” he stated.
Makinde disclosed that the state government had already established an operational centre at the police headquarters to coordinate information and monitor developments surrounding the kidnapping.
He said the Commissioner of Police would also continue to provide necessary updates to journalists and the public as events unfold.
“At this stage, due to the complexity of the operation going on, we will not be able to volunteer too much information,” he said.
Speaking further during the briefing, the governor addressed questions regarding the surveillance aircraft earlier procured by the state government, explaining that the aircraft had already arrived in Nigeria and were currently being reassembled at the Nigerian Air Force hangar in Lagos.
“The surveillance aircrafts that arrived in the country, as of today, they are at the Nigerian Air Force Hangar in Lagos, being reassembled. The manufacturer from China arrived in the country about three days ago,” he explained.
According to him, the reassembly process would take about two weeks, adding that the surveillance aircraft would become operational before the end of June.
Makinde noted that the aircraft were originally procured as part of proactive efforts to monitor border areas between Oyo and Kwara states as well as routes around the international borders connected to the state.
“However, we were proactive. We wanted to be able to cover the borderline between Oyo State and Kwara,” he said.
The governor assured residents that the government remained committed to restoring peace and ensuring that citizens could continue their lawful activities without fear.
“We are doing everything within our capacity to ensure that normalcy returns and also, by God’s grace, that the children and the teachers abducted are rescued as quickly as possible,” he added.
Makinde also called on residents across communities in the state to support security agencies with timely and credible information, saying public vigilance remained critical in tackling insecurity.
“For me, I would say if you see something strange, say something and then expect us to do something,” the governor stated.
He maintained that the Oyo State Government would not surrender to fear or criminal intimidation, insisting that authorities were determined to confront the security threat decisively.
