IBADAN, NIGERIA — Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has linked the high-profile abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area to sabotage, revealing that the mass kidnapping occurred mere hours after he officially declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking on Friday during a high-level consultative meeting in Bauchi with Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and leaders of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Makinde expressed suspicion over the timing of the security breach. He noted that during his seven years at the helm of affairs in Oyo State, the state had maintained a peaceful atmosphere without recording a single incident of mass school abduction prior to the May 15 attack.
“For seven years, we didn’t witness anything like this in Oyo State,” Governor Makinde told the political stakeholders. “I declared to run for the presidency of Nigeria at four o’clock, and by 9 a.m. the following morning, the children were abducted.”
Makinde had formally announced his 2027 presidential ambition on May 14 during a joint rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APM in Ibadan, promising a blueprint to “reset Nigeria.” He subsequently emerged as the consensus presidential candidate of the APM during the party’s primary election later that month.
Just hours after Makinde raised eyebrows over the timing of the attack during his Bauchi address, the Presidency confirmed that all the abducted pupils and teachers had been successfully freed after spending 56 grueling days in captivity.
The security operation, described as a coordinated strike involving the Nigerian Military, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police Force, led to the neutralisation of several terrorists. Government officials confirmed that eight suspected kidnappers were apprehended during the raid and are currently undergoing interrogation in DSS custody.
Crucially, the Presidency emphasized that the federal government maintained a hardline stance throughout the crisis, refusing to engage in negotiations or ransom exchanges despite the abductors demanding the release of one of their detained kingpins who is currently facing federal prosecution.
Following the news of the successful rescue, Governor Makinde expressed profound relief, immediately shifting tone to commend the federal government and the security chiefs. The governor described the development as “a big relief” for the direct families of the victims and the entire populace of Oyo State, bringing an end to nearly two months of intense anxiety across the state’s three targeted schools in Oriire.
President Bola Tinubu also praised the armed forces for executing a precise, surgical rescue operation that resulted in zero collateral damage. The President directed federal emergency agencies to rapidly collaborate with the Oyo State Government to provide comprehensive medical care, psychological evaluation, and rehabilitation support for the rescued pupils and teachers.
