School abduction came hours after I declared for presidency – Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has said the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area happened less than 24 hours after he declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Makinde made the remark on Friday while addressing Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and leaders of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Bauchi. He recalled that Oyo State had not experienced a similar incident throughout his seven years in office until the May 15 school abduction.

“For seven years, we didn’t witness anything like this in Oyo State. I declared to run for the presidency of Nigeria at four o’clock, and by 9 a.m. the following morning, the children were abducted,” the governor said.

His comments came hours after the Presidency announced that all the abducted pupils and teachers had been rescued after spending 56 days in captivity.

According to the Presidency, the victims regained their freedom during a coordinated operation involving the military, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force. It added that eight suspected kidnappers were arrested and are currently in DSS custody, while several others were killed during the operation.

The Presidency also disclosed that the rescue was carried out without any negotiation or ransom payment, despite the kidnappers’ demand for the release of one of their detained leaders who is facing prosecution.

Reacting to the development, Makinde expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, the Armed Forces, the DSS, the police and other security agencies for securing the victims’ release.

The governor described the operation as “a big relief” for the affected families and the people of Oyo State, saying it ended weeks of anxiety following the abduction of pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area.

President Tinubu also praised the security agencies for rescuing the victims without collateral damage and directed relevant emergency agencies to work with the Oyo State Government to provide medical care, counselling and other support for the rescued pupils and teachers.

Makinde formally declared his 2027 presidential ambition on May 14 during a joint rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement in Ibadan, where he pledged to “reset Nigeria.” He later emerged as the APM’s presidential candidate after securing the party’s consensus nomination.