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Oyo Assembly Speaker Rejects Negotiation with Kidnappers, Demands Tough Response to Schoolchildren Abduction
IBADAN, Nigeria — The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin, has strongly cautioned against negotiating with terrorists responsible for the abduction of approximately 50 schoolchildren and teachers from Esienle and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped on May 15, sparking widespread concern among residents and renewed calls for stronger security measures across vulnerable communities in Oyo State.
The issue came to the forefront during Wednesday's plenary session of the House when the lawmaker representing Oriire State Constituency, Johnson Ogundele, moved a motion seeking urgent government intervention to secure the release of the hostages.
Addressing the Assembly, Mr. Ogundele urged the state government to intensify efforts aimed at rescuing the abducted pupils and their teachers while strengthening security presence in the affected areas.
"The government should do everything necessary to bring these children and their teachers back," he said.
The lawmaker noted that Oriire Local Government Area has experienced a troubling rise in banditry and violent attacks since the beginning of the year. He cited the recent assault on the National Park Service office in Oloka village, where five forest guards were killed by armed attackers.
According to him, the worsening security situation demands urgent and sustained intervention from both state and federal authorities.
"I want to equally urge the state government to intensify support for security agencies and establish a permanent military base within and around vulnerable communities and forest corridors in the area," he added.
Responding during the debate, Speaker Ogundoyin challenged suggestions that authorities should engage in negotiations with the kidnappers, arguing that such approaches could strengthen criminal groups and encourage future abductions.
"If it were up to you, would you negotiate with terrorists?" the Speaker asked.
He further raised concerns over the potential consequences of bargaining with armed groups.
"If they asked for weapons, money, or concessions of future laws of this land as part of their ransom, if you were the governor, would you accept that? Would you accept those people to be integrated into that community?" he queried.
The Speaker emphasized that lawmakers and members of the public should exercise caution when discussing the ongoing rescue efforts, noting that critical operational details may not be publicly available.
"We don't know the details. So, please, let's be sensitive and calm. You do not know the details," he stated.
The abduction has once again highlighted the growing security challenges facing rural communities across parts of Nigeria, where kidnappings for ransom have increasingly targeted schools, commuters, farmers, and residents in remote settlements.
Security analysts have repeatedly warned that negotiations and ransom payments often provide financial incentives for criminal groups, enabling them to expand operations and carry out further attacks.
For residents of Esienle, Yawota, and neighboring communities, however, the immediate concern remains the safe return of the abducted children and teachers, many of whom have now spent weeks in captivity.
The Oyo State House of Assembly's deliberations reflect mounting pressure on security agencies and government authorities to secure the release of the hostages while developing long-term strategies to address the escalating threat of banditry and kidnapping in the state's rural corridors.
As rescue efforts continue, families of the victims remain hopeful that the children and their teachers will be returned safely, even as lawmakers debate the most effective response to the growing insecurity confronting the region.
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