Yoruba nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, stated on Saturday that the Federal Government refused to meet the demands of suspected terrorists who abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, in order to discourage criminal enterprise in Nigeria.
He explained that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the government has maintained its position that paying ransom or releasing detained terrorists in exchange for abductees would only embolden criminality and provide further funding for violent operations by bandits across the country.
Recall that the pupils and teachers kidnapped in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, 2026, were released yesterday following a coordinated joint security operation at Old Oyo National Park.
The pupils and teachers of Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele; LA Primary School; and Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, were held captive for 56 days before being rescued by a combined security team on Friday.
A statement issued by the Sunday Igboho Media Office, reacting to their release, praised the highly wired, intelligence-driven tactics employed by the military to secure their freedom.
“I want to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the military, the Police, the Department of State Security, and other paramilitary agencies for their painstaking efforts, which resulted in the freedom of the pupils and their teachers.
“This development not only brought relief and joy to their distraught families; it has also rekindled hope among the citizenry in the Federal Government’s commitment to tackle criminality and ensure a safe and secure environment.
“It is also crucial to laud the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd); the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu; the military; the National Security Adviser; the Department of State Service (DSS); and the heads of all security agencies for their seamless collaboration, which culminated in the release of all pupils and their teachers,” Igboho stated.
The statement further reads, “Since the day the pupils were abducted, Tinubu has spared no effort to ensure their release. I want to emphatically state and assure that the government’s resolve to tackle criminal networks in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State, and Nigeria as a whole is without question. GeographicReference
“The Federal Government’s current synergy with local security organisations to confront criminals in communities will continue unabated, as we are absolutely committed to exploring all legal means to create conducive environments for farmers and inhabitants of rural communities in the South West.”
Sunday Igboho, however, commiserated with the families who lost their loved ones during the Oriire kidnap saga, especially the teacher Michael Oyedokun, who was beheaded by the terrorists.
