"I Will Hear Your Demands But Never Bow": Makinde Opens Door To Kidnappers After 46 Children Taken In Oyo

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has placed his administration on a precarious tightrope, declaring that while he will never surrender to terrorism, his government is fully prepared to listen to the demands of the bandits who abducted 46 pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area last Friday, even as rescue operations remain dangerously fluid and one abducted teacher has already been confirmed beheaded. The governor's carefully calibrated position, announced during a press briefing at his private residence in Kolapo Ishola Estate, Ibadan, on Monday, May 18, represents one of the most direct statements by a state chief executive on engaging kidnappers, as he appealed to the abductors to release their captives promptly and insisted that the government would explore every lawful means, including listening to the criminals' demands, to bring back the children.

Makinde was categorical about his red lines even as he opened the door to negotiation. "We will not give in to terror. We will do everything to ensure that our children and their teachers are returned safely," he told journalists, while simultaneously stating, "Whatever it is they demand, we are ready to listen to them and address what we can as a state government." The governor confirmed the latest verified figures, revealing that seven students were abducted from Community Secondary School, while 18 children and seven teachers were kidnapped from First Baptist Primary and Nursery School in Yawota. He also confirmed that one of the teachers, identified as Michael Oyedokun, a Mathematics teacher, was beheaded after a video emerged showing him pleading for intervention before his execution. "These are not foreign people. It is us against ourselves. Whatever their demands may be, we are ready to listen and address the ones we can as a state government. The children and their teachers must be released without delay," Makinde said.

The attack itself was as brazen as it was devastating. On Friday, May 15, around 9:30 a.m., approximately 12 attackers on motorcycles stormed Yawota and Esiele communities in Oriire Local Government Area, simultaneously targeting Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community High School in Ahoro-Esinele, and L.A. Primary School. The armed men operated in broad daylight, snatching four motorcycles from villagers during the assault. Among those abducted was Mrs Alamu Folawe, the principal of Community High School, who was forced into her own vehicle, which the attackers drove into the forest before later abandoning it. Community leaders have since compiled a list of victims. From Ahoro-Esinele Community, the abducted include Rashida Tajudeen, 11; Ahmed Ramoni, 8; Abdulsalam Toyib, just 4 years old; Baraka Abioye, 16; Fatimo Jimoh, 15; Hassan Azeez, 14; and Joshua Adeleke, 13. From Yawota Community, the names paint an even more heartbreaking picture of stolen childhood: Samuel Oyedele, 7; Emmanuel Oyedele, 4; Idowu Taiwo, 4; Christianah Akanbi, just 2 years old; Juwon Sunday, 7; Sikiru Salami, 3; Soliu Salami, 4; Ojo Joseph, 8; Lydia Adewole, 8; Testimony Jacob, 5; Kehinde Kaosara, 7; Sewa Seyi, 7; Waliya Bello, 4; Lydia Olohunloluwa, 7; Damilare Oderinde, 8; Deborah Adebowale, 5; Aisha Oguntowo, 10; Lege Taiwo, 12; Balkis Ayanwale, 8; and Asa David, 10. Additional victims were taken from Oniya Community and Alawusa Community.

The governor's decision to publicly state his willingness to listen to the abductors comes as security forces have cornered the kidnappers inside the Old Oyo National Park. Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, disclosed on Saturday, May 16, that the suspected kidnappers have been effectively confined within the national park axis following coordinated security operations involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Civil Defence Agro Rangers, and the Amotekun Corps. The kidnappers reportedly drove the principal's vehicle into the park before abandoning it and fleeing deeper into the forest. Security forces have since sealed all possible escape routes to prevent the suspects from escaping into Kwara State or across the international border with the Republic of Benin. However, the rescue mission has come at a grievous cost. Makinde confirmed that during the ongoing operation, security operatives, including soldiers, Amotekun Corps members, and local vigilantes, encountered Improvised Explosive Devices planted by the abductors, resulting in casualties. One Amotekun operative remains in critical condition, while several other personnel were wounded.

The political fallout from the abduction has been swift and unforgiving. The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State issued a statement on Saturday condemning the attacks and faulting Makinde's security record. APC Publicity Secretary Olawale Sadare accused the governor of being absent when the attacks occurred, claiming Makinde was "gallivanting on the streets of Ibadan in the name of Street Credibility for the purpose of selfish politicking" while security agents who should have been deployed were in his entourage. The opposition party demanded answers regarding the whereabouts of surveillance aircraft for which the governor allegedly removed billions of naira from the state treasury, and questioned why Makinde finds it difficult to work with relevant stakeholders to address insecurity. President Bola Tinubu, in a statement by his spokesman Bayo Onanuga, condemned the beheading of Oyedokun as barbaric and assured that the Federal Government was working with the Oyo State Government to rescue all victims, adding that the Inspector-General of Police is personally leading a technology-driven operation. The Christian Association of Nigeria also denounced the abductions, warning that "when children are hunted in classrooms, silence becomes complicity."

Amid the political storm, Makinde disclosed that two surveillance aircraft procured by the state government have arrived in Nigeria and are currently being reassembled at the Nigerian Air Force hangar in Lagos by manufacturers from China. He said the aircraft, which are expected to become operational before the end of June, were procured proactively to monitor the borderline between Oyo and Kwara States and the international border with the Republic of Benin, though he admitted the government did not anticipate this particular incident. Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command confirmed that six suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack, believed to be informants who maintained telephone communication with the bandits during and after the operation, allegedly providing details on how the criminals could navigate routes within the National Park to hidden safe havens. As the nation waits and the abducted children spend their fifth day in captivity, Makinde's promise to both listen and not surrender remains a fragile hope for the families of 46 missing souls.

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