Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Oyo State House of Assembly has firmly rejected calls for the state government to negotiate with the bandits who, on 15 May 2026, attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area and abducted 46 pupils, students and teachers. In a resolution adopted after a plenary session on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, lawmakers insisted that any engagement with the kidnappers would embolden criminal elements, strengthen their networks, and encourage further attacks. Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin, who led the debate, warned that negotiating with armed groups risked sending “the wrong signal” and would undermine ongoing security operations. Instead of dialogue, the Assembly urged security agencies to intensify rescue and manhunt missions to secure the unconditional release of all captives, including the principal of Community High School, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, a two‑year‑old toddler, Christianah Akanbi, and dozens of other victims.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Johnson Ogundele, the lawmaker representing Oriire State Constituency, shortly after the House resumed from the Eid-el-Kabir (Sallah) recess. Ogundele recounted the harrowing details of the 15 May attack, in which about 12 armed bandits on motorcycles, dressed in military camouflage, simultaneously stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Ahoro‑Esinele, and L.A. Primary School in Esiele. The gunmen shot sporadically, killing an assistant headmaster, Mr. Joel Adesiyan, and a commercial motorcyclist, before forcing 39 pupils and seven teachers into the bush. Days later, one of the abducted teachers, Mr. Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded in a viral video that sparked nationwide outrage.
Ogundele also reminded the House that Oriire LGA had witnessed escalating bandit activity since the beginning of 2026, including a separate attack on the National Park Service office at Oloka Village where five forest guards were killed. While commending Governor Seyi Makinde for his swift deployment of security operatives, personal visit to the affected communities, and ongoing rescue efforts, the lawmaker urged the state government to intensify support for security agencies and to consider establishing a permanent military base within and around vulnerable communities and forest corridors in the area. The Assembly also directed the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, in collaboration with the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), to immediately conduct security audits of schools located near forests and border settlements across the state, and to expedite the installation of solar‑powered security lights, perimeter fencing and CCTV cameras in high‑risk schools, as well as to develop a comprehensive Safe School Emergency Response Protocol for all public and private schools.
Seconding the motion, the Majority Leader, Sanjo Adedoyin (Ogbomoso South), renewed calls for the establishment of state police, arguing that the recent rescue operations had exposed the limitations of conventional security agencies in navigating dense forests. He noted that troops had been forced to rely heavily on local vigilantes and operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps) to penetrate difficult terrains, a reality that he said further justified decentralising the nation’s security architecture.
The Assembly’s rejection of negotiations aligns with the position of the abductors themselves, who had previously refused to engage with the families of the captives, insisting that they would only talk directly to the government. On 1 June, a family source disclosed that the kidnappers had threatened that if the government continued to use force, they would begin executing hostages. The principal, Mrs. Alamu, appeared in a subsequent video from captivity, begging the government to negotiate for their release and revealing that the captives were being left exposed to the scorching sun and heavy rain with no shelter. Despite these pleas, the Oyo State House of Assembly has now drawn a clear line: there will be no negotiation, and the priority must be a decisive, intelligence‑led rescue operation.
The lawmakers also mandated its Committee on Security and Strategy to undertake an oversight visit to Oriire LGA, assess the security situation on the ground, engage stakeholders, and recommend urgent legislative interventions. As the debate concluded, the Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to supporting all measures that would strengthen security across Oyo State and prevent a recurrence of attacks on schools and communities. For the families of the 46 abducted pupils and teachers, the resolution offers a promise of intensified action, but the captives remain in the forest, and the clock is ticking.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com
📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News
🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew
📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments