Eshioromeh Sebastian
President Bola Tinubu has condemned the reported killing of one of the teachers abducted during a coordinated raid on three schools in Oyo State last Friday, vowing that the perpetrators and their local collaborators will be “fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
The President, in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) is personally leading a technology-driven rescue operation to secure the release of the remaining victims.
Spear News Nigeria reports that gunmen invaded the Esiele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State last Friday, abducting staff, students, and pupils from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School.
President Tinubu described the reported killing of the abducted teacher as “barbaric” and extended his sympathies to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the government, and the people of the state.
“I am saddened by the reported killing of one of the teachers kidnapped by the gunmen who invaded the community,” the President was quoted as saying. “I sympathise with Governor Seyi Makinde and commend the steps he has taken on the matter. I sympathise with the families of the kidnapped victims.”
He assured that the federal government is working in close coordination with the Oyo State government to ensure the safe return of all abducted individuals.
“The Federal Government is working with the Oyo State government to rescue all the victims,” Tinubu said. “I commend the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioners of Police in Oyo and Kwara States for their quick intervention and the deployment of a tactical and the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to rescue the victims.”
According to the President, the IGP is acting on direct presidential instructions and is personally overseeing what he described as a “tech-driven operation.”
“We expect a breakthrough soon,” Tinubu stated. “The bandits and all their local collaborators will be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
In a significant policy addition to his remarks on the security breach, President Tinubu used the incident to renew his call for the establishment of state police. He argued that the recurring pattern of mass abductions in underserved communities underscores the urgency of constitutional reforms to decentralise the country’s policing architecture.
“Cases of kidnapping further make imperative the establishment of state police to man some of our underserved areas,” the President said. “The National Assembly should accelerate the enactment of the law creating state police.”
The abduction in Oriire Local Government Area is the latest in a series of school raids in the region, which have heightened concerns over the security of educational institutions outside major urban centres. Security analysts have noted that the involvement of the IGP directly commanding a tactical operation reflects the gravity of the incident and the political pressure on the federal government to secure a positive outcome.
As of the time of this report, security forces remain on the ground, and no group has formally claimed responsibility for the abduction. Efforts to reach the Oyo State Police Command for an update on the rescue mission were unsuccessful as calls to the spokesperson’s line went unanswered.
President Tinubu concluded his remarks by reiterating the government’s resolve to dismantle criminal networks operating in the area.
“I am saddened by the reported killing of one of the teachers,” he said again, emphasizing the human cost of the incident. But he offered a firm promise: “The bandits and all their local collaborators will be fished out.”
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