Follow Us on Google
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
By Enyeribe Ejiogu
These are not days of joy and fanfare for Governor of Oyo State, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, an engineer, who was first elected in 2019 and then re-elected in 2023.
It is a time of nerve-wracking tension for the governor and the officials around him on the one hand and the combination of psychological agony and uncertainty for the residents of the state and all well-meaning Nigerians on the other.
On the day that Peter Ekanem (real name concealed), a youth corps member serving in Lagos was returning from Ondo State, where he had participated in the three weeks orientation programme, the commuter bus hired by the NYSC leadership to bring the contingent of corps members back to Lagos passed through Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Ekanem was so excited with the well-built wide roads the bus drove through in Ibadan, to reach the entry point of the Ibadan-Lagos expressway.
Today, the smooth roads and other completed or ongoing infrastructural projects have taken a back seat in the mind of Governor Makinde since Friday, 15 May 2026, when a mass abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State took place.
In the incident, 49 people in total were abducted, including schoolchildren, teachers, and a toddler, from Baptist Nursery/Primary School Yawota, Community High School Ahoro-Esienle, and L.A. Primary School in Oriire LGA. One of the teachers was even beheaded and the beastly act was recorded on video, perhaps to send a blood-cuddling message about the cocksure resolute intention of the terrorists to exhibit maximum ruthlessness.
Peace, joy and happiness have taken flight from the homes of the parents and other near kin of the kidnap victims.
Makinde is one governor whose colleagues are definitely not envying now. He is caught in the undesirable situation of walking on a tightrope, faced with momentous decisions. He has to navigate the delicate edges of life, summoning up the courage required to choose between hard alternatives. The critical situation in Oyo State is the kind of fire in which leadership is forged – especially taking into consideration the enormous and fundamental demands made by the terrorists, comprising ₦1 billion ransom to be deposited in a bank in the Republic of Benin, weapons, food supplies, two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia law in the state. Other demands include the release of suspects in custody in connection with activities of the terrorists.
It is interesting to note that the Executive and Legislative arms of the Oyo State government have refused to grant the demands of the terrorists, stressing that negotiations with the terrorists would only encourage further abductions.
Other News
“In a moment of crisis, reactions set the leaders apart from the followers,” notes Peter Stark, agreeing with Frank Sonnenberg, who in his book, Leadership by Example, said: “Times of crisis bring out the best in people. I hope they bring out the best in you.”
In this time of crisis, renowned public relations and crisis communication expert, Leonard Saffir has this advice for the Federal and Oyo State governments: “In crisis management, be quick with the facts, slow with the blame.” On this, Gov Makinde could not agree more, saying, “This is not time to trade blames, not time to play politics.”
This is the time for all stakeholders (federal & state governments and the people) to close ranks, pulling in the same direction, to rescue the kidnapped children and their teachers.
Across the country, fathers like Joseph Ibezim, are feeling the pain of the parents of the Oyo school children. In a chat with Sunday Sun on the abduction, Ibezim who has advised several corporate bodies on strategies for dealing with crisis situations offered his counsel for both the Federal and Oyo State governments.
“In one of his notable quotes, the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy said: ‘When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters – one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.
“What happened in Oyo State just like the abduction of school children in Borno State, both provide a clear and compelling opportunity for President Bola Tinubu to do the needful regarding the issue of state police. When he talked about the state police issue and the then mandated the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to set up and head a committee to draw up framework on the way forward for state police, Nigerians were happy and optimistic because people long desired the decentralisation of policing, to make the operatives more effective.
“President Bola Tinubu has often used the popular maxim “power is meant to be used” throughout his political career to justify decisive action. In the run up to the 2023 General Election, he made a viral statement about acquiring and using political power on December 5, 2022, during a closed-door meeting with his top campaign operatives in London, United Kingdom. This was shortly after his appearance at Chatham House. Regarding the 2023 presidential election he said: ‘Political power is not going to be served in a restaurant. They don’t serve it a la carte. At all costs, fight for it, grab it, snatch it and run with it.’
“Now that insecurity threatens the very existence of the Nigerian nation and he has very robust, very broad executive authority and power (like General Ibrahim Babangida who reminded Nigerians that the government he headed was in office and in power), I want President Tinubu to move expeditiously to get the National Assembly to pass legislation that would allow state police to come into existence speedily, so that state governments can have legal standing to adequately fund the second tier, state level of the security architecture. This way, indigenous police operatives will be able to defend their communities against the murderous terrorists.
“Lt General Theophilus Danjuma recognised long ago and stridently called on indigenous populations in communities to defend themselves. So, President Tinubu should rise with courage and actualise the state police desire of Nigerians. Desperate situations demand desperate solutions.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government said it remains focused on rescuing the kidnapped children and their teachers alive. For this purpose, it has activated a specialised rescue team. Intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance as well as coordinated search-and-rescue operations are ongoing in Oyo.
President Tinubu directed security agencies to deploy “every lawful tool” to ensure safe return, noting that “No child belongs in captivity.”
Just like the Federal Government, Governor Makinde speaking for the state government, stressed that a safe rescue of the school children is the top priority: “We will do everything to ensure our children and their teachers are returned safely.”
