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The Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Lawal, has assured residents that all kidnapped students would be rescued.
Lawal gave this assurance on Sunday when he led a government delegation to communities in Oriire Local Government Area affected by Friday’s school abduction,
Lawal also told parents and community members that the exact number of abducted victims had yet to be confirmed, dismissing figures circulating in the media as inaccurate.
“Until we do proper verification, we cannot put a figure to those abducted. For now, figures circulating in the media cannot be taken as correct,” he said.
The state’s Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, disclosed the details of Lawal’s visit in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to the statement, the delegation visited Yawota and Esiele communities in Oriire South, where armed men attacked schools and abducted students and staff members.
The deputy governor said the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde responded swiftly after the incident, adding that security operatives engaged the kidnappers in the bush and neutralised about three of them.
“We have pacified the residents and given assurances that those abducted will be rescued and brought back,” Lawal said after visiting victims at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital and Bowen University Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso.
Lawal explained that the attackers targeted schools in Esiele and Yawota around the Ahorodada area, abducting pupils and staff from LA Basic School, Ahoro Esiele, Community High School and a private primary school.
He added that the government had deployed logistical and operational support to assist security agencies and ensure treatment for injured victims.
The deputy governor warned that the attack suggested bandits were operating close to communities, especially around forest reserves, and said the government would strengthen security in vulnerable areas including Saki West, Saki East, Irepo, Iseyin, Ibarapa, Igbeti and Oriire.
“We are asking residents to remain vigilant. If you notice any unusual movement, report it to security agencies so that prompt action can be taken,” he said.
Lawal confirmed that one resident and a teacher lost their lives during the attack, while security personnel, including the military, police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and local hunters, remained in the forest pursuing the abductors.
He reiterated that the state government would not tolerate banditry or criminality in any part of the state.
