Makinde spoke about the kidnapping at the Oyo school, promising the safe return of students and teachers

Governor Seyi Makinde has assured residents of Oyo State that government remains fully committed to ensuring the release of kidnapped school children and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, stating that no effort is being made to bring them home safely.

The governor gave the assurance while addressing protesters led by social media personality VeryDarkMan at the Oyo State Government House, Ibadan, in a video that surfaced on Tuesday.

Speaking emotionally about the ordeal, Makinde said the prolonged detention of the victims had deeply affected him both as governor and as a parent. He noted that the kidnapped children, many of whom were kindergarten and elementary school students, had spent more than a month in the hands of their captors.

“I’m also sad because I have my own children. I’m also sad about what happened to our children. It’s been one month, only one month and one day,” said Makinde.

The governor explained that the complex rescue operation prevented him from disclosing details of the strategy used by the security agencies. Nevertheless, he emphasized that intensive efforts continue to be made behind the scenes.

“Because of the security situation, I cannot divulge much information,” he said.

Makinde described the incident as particularly disturbing due to the age of the victims, and said the kidnapping was an unprecedented challenge, unlike previous kidnapping cases recorded in the country.

“This is the first time in Nigeria that they have kidnapped kindergarten and primary school children. These are children who cannot even run or do anything on their own. So, their rescue operation is a special type of operation,” he said.

The governor reiterated that the safety of children remains the government’s top priority and stressed that every decision taken is aimed at ensuring they return alive and unharmed.

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“I don’t want to lose any of those children. I assure you that I, as governor, with God’s permission, will give birth to those children,” he added.

Makinde also confirmed that communication channels had been opened with the kidnappers, and described the move as difficult but necessary in the circumstances.

“If the government negotiates with the bandits, it means showing great sovereignty to the bandits. In this particular situation, for the sake of the surviving children, we have to bear the burden,” he said.

While expressing confidence that the crisis will soon be resolved, the governor assured residents that lessons from the incident will lead to stronger security measures to prevent a similar incident from happening again.

“Once the kids are out, I guarantee it won’t happen again,” Makinde said.

The governor’s statement comes amid growing public concern over the fate of the kidnapped students and teachers, and families, civil society groups, and community leaders continue to call for immediate action to guarantee their freedom and strengthen protections for schools across the state.