Oyo Assembly rejects negotiation with bandits over school abduction

The Oyo State House of Assembly has rejected calls for the state government to negotiate with bandits responsible for the abduction of teachers and students during the May 15 attack on communities in Oriire Local Government Area.

 

The Assembly instead called for intensified rescue operations to secure the release of victims abducted during the coordinated attack on Ahoro-Esiele, Oyo and Yawota communities.

 

The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the lawmaker representing Oriire State Constituency, Johnson Ogundele, during plenary on Wednesday after the House resumed from the Eid-el-Kabir recess.

 

Presenting the motion, Ogundele recalled that the attackers invaded the communities during school hours, killing a teacher, a student and a commercial motorcyclist, while abducting several students, pupils and teachers.

 

He noted that the area had witnessed a series of security incidents in recent months, including an attack on the National Park Service office at Oloka village, where five forest guards were killed.

 

Ogundele commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his swift response to the crisis, including the deployment of security personnel, rescue efforts and his visit to the affected communities.

 

He urged the state government to strengthen support for security agencies and establish a permanent military base in vulnerable communities and forest corridors within the area.

 

The Assembly also called on the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the State Universal Basic Education Board to conduct security audits of schools located near forests and border communities across the state.

 

Lawmakers further urged the government to install solar-powered security lights, perimeter fencing and CCTV cameras in vulnerable schools, while developing a comprehensive Safe School Emergency Response Protocol for both public and private schools.

 

Seconding the motion, Majority Leader Sanjo Adedoyin renewed calls for the establishment of state police, arguing that recent rescue operations highlighted the limitations of conventional security agencies in difficult forest terrains.

 

He said local vigilantes and operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps, had played critical roles in navigating affected areas and called on the Federal Government to expedite action on state policing.

 

Other lawmakers called for increased deployment of security personnel, improved protection of forest reserves, recruitment of more Amotekun operatives and better equipment for local security outfits.

 

The House subsequently urged the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Defence and other relevant agencies, to establish a permanent military base in Oriire Local Government Area.

 

It also called on the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency to provide trauma counselling, psychosocial support and relief materials to affected families.

 

The Assembly further directed its Committee on Security and Strategy to visit the affected communities, assess the security situation and recommend urgent legislative interventions.

 

Speaker of the House, Adebo Ogundoyin, dismissed suggestions that the government should negotiate with terrorists and kidnappers, warning that such a move could embolden criminal groups and encourage further attacks.

 

He urged residents to continue supporting security agencies and the state government in ongoing rescue efforts, stressing that the focus should remain on intelligence gathering, sustained security operations and coordinated efforts to secure the safe release of all victims.