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Abduction: Why govt won’t negotiate with kidnappers for victims’ release
Oyo State House of Assembly has rejected calls for negotiations with kidnappers responsible for the abduction of pupils, students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, urging security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ release.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Oriire State Constituency, Johnson Ogundele, during plenary on Thursday.
Ogundele drew the attention of lawmakers to recurring attacks on communities within the local government area, recalling that armed bandits invaded schools in Esinele, Oyo and Yawota communities on May 15. The attack reportedly claimed the lives of a teacher, a student and a commercial motorcyclist, while dozens of pupils and teachers were abducted.
The lawmaker also referenced previous attacks in the area, including an assault on the National Park Service office in Oloka village, where five forest guards were killed.
Following deliberations, the Assembly called on the state government to strengthen support for security agencies and establish a permanent military base in vulnerable communities and forest corridors prone to attacks.
Lawmakers further directed the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to conduct security audits of schools located near forests and border communities.
Other recommendations included the installation of solar-powered security lights, perimeter fencing and closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance systems in vulnerable schools. The Assembly also advocated the development of a comprehensive Safe School Emergency Response Protocol across the state.
Speaker of the House, Adebo Ogundoyin, firmly opposed any proposal for the government to negotiate with terrorists.
While sympathising with families of those still in captivity, Ogundoyin warned that engaging kidnappers in negotiations would embolden criminal groups and encourage further attacks.
He maintained that sustained security operations, intelligence gathering and coordinated rescue missions remained the most effective response to the crisis.
Majority Leader Sanjo Adedoyin renewed calls for the establishment of state police, arguing that recent rescue operations had exposed the limitations of conventional security agencies operating in difficult forest terrains without the support of local vigilantes and Amotekun personnel.
Meanwhile, security was heightened around the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday amid plans for a protest over the abduction of the pupils, students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
A combined team of military personnel, police officers and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) mounted security cordons around the Presidential Villa, restricting access to residents, workers and individuals with verified official engagements within the State House complex.
The security measures affected the two major access routes leading to the Villa—the Federal Secretariat and Supreme Court axis, as well as the Asokoro route—where security personnel were deployed in large numbers from the early hours of the day.
Visitors were subjected to thorough screening at various checkpoints.
The heightened security followed threats by activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, to lead a protest march to the Presidential Villa if the abducted schoolchildren and teachers were not rescued by Thursday.