Governor Seyi Makinde has assured residents of Oyo State that the pupils and teachers a.bducted in Oriire Local Government Area will be rescued alive, insisting that the state will not experience a tragedy similar to the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction
He gave the assurance on Tuesday while addressing protesters led by social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), at his residence in Ikolaba, Ibadan.
The protest followed growing concerns over insecurity and recent k!dnappings of schoolchildren and teachers in the state.
Makinde said his administration remains fully committed to securing the release of the victims and will not relent in the ongoing rescue operation. He added that security agencies had made sacrifices, including the loss of a military officer.
The governor also noted that the operation is being handled cautiously to avoid further casualties, while maintaining that there is no intelligence indicating the victims have been killed.
He further disclosed that government is in communication with the abductors due to the sensitive nature of the situation and urged calm among residents, praising the peaceful conduct of the protesters.
He assured that lessons would be learned from the incident to prevent a recurrence and pledged improved security going forward.
He said:
“Let me make it very, very clear, Oyo State is not Chibok and we will not be Chibok,
“We have lost men, even soldiers and officers, and I can confirm to you that a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army was killed a few days ago,
“If you ask me, can I sacrifice myself for those children to come out? I will do it,
“If we want those children alive, we have to bend backwards,”
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