Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has confirmed the killing of one of the teachers abducted alongside other victims in Ahoro Dada Community, Oriire Local Government Area of the state, while assuring that efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining captives.
Makinde disclosed this on Sunday after a security review meeting with service commanders and his security advisers over the abduction of seven teachers and an unspecified number of pupils.
He said one of the abducted teachers, believed to be a Mathematics teacher, was killed by the abductors, following the circulation of a video confirming the incident.
“What we know right now is that seven teachers were abducted. Unfortunately, we received a video this morning indicating that one of the teachers, understood to be the Mathematics teacher, was killed by the terrorists. Our prayers are with the family,” the governor said.
Makinde expressed condolences to the bereaved family and sympathised with members of the tactical rescue teams — including soldiers, Amotekun Corps operatives and local vigilantes — who encountered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by the abductors during rescue operations.
He said the injured operatives were responding to treatment and assured that the state government would cover their medical expenses.
The governor added that both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies had been deployed to secure the release of the remaining victims, stressing that rescue efforts had been intensified.
“We just finished a review of the security situation in the local government area where the abduction of some teachers and schoolchildren took place.
“First, let me appeal to the affected families that their government is working round the clock to ensure that we tackle this challenge. For our troops and service commanders, we have a few wounded soldiers, hunters and other operatives. They are recovering,” he said.
Makinde urged residents of Oriire Local Government and the wider Oyo State to remain calm, assuring them that the government was committed to securing the safe return of the abductees despite the difficulty of the situation.
“I want to appeal to all citizens and residents, particularly those in Oriire Local Government and across Oyo State, that we are doing everything within our power to resolve this situation quickly and bring our children back safely,” he said.
He further revealed that tactical teams comprising the police, military, Amotekun operatives, hunters and other local security actors had been deployed, but one of the teams suffered setbacks after running into IEDs planted by the attackers.
Despite the challenges, Makinde said security agencies had made progress, including the arrest of several suspects linked to the incident.
“From the information available from the Commissioner of Police, about six individuals have been arrested within the locality. Some of them are believed to be informants or logistics handlers for the terrorists. Also, three persons of interest have been arrested by another security outfit within the state,” he said.
The governor also noted that increasing security pressure on terrorists and bandits in the North-West and North-East may be pushing criminal groups southwards.
“With the pressure on terrorists and bandits in the North-West and North-East, they will keep moving southwards. When pressure is mounted in one area, we must also be prepared here to repel or neutralise any terrorists fleeing those pressure points,” he said.
Makinde assured that his administration would continue strengthening the state’s security architecture to protect schools, communities, factories, and major transport routes.
He also pledged that the government would provide regular updates on ongoing rescue operations.
