‘I Declared to Run for President by 4 pm, and by 9 am, Children from Oyo State Had Been Kidnapped’ – Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has defended his administration’s security record, arguing that the 2026 abduction of pupils and teachers in the state was unfairly politicised, unlike the reaction to the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ kidnapping.

Speaking on Friday during a meeting with Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and leaders of the APM in Bauchi State, Makinde stated that he had enjoyed relative peace throughout his years in office until he declared his intention to contest the presidency.

“For seven years as Oyo State governor, we did not witness such an incident in my state. I declared to run for the presidency at 4 p.m., and by 9 a.m. the following morning, children were abducted in Oyo State,” the governor said.

Makinde recalled that the Chibok kidnapping under former President Goodluck Jonathan was widely blamed on the Federal Government, but said the narrative changed when the abduction occurred in Oyo.

“It was unbelievable. When the Chibok kidnapping happened, it was President Jonathan they blamed. They went all over the world asking Jonathan to bring back the children. But when the abduction happened in Oyo State, they said it was the irresponsibility of the state governor and the state government,” he stated.

The Governor’s comment came following the rescue of the kidnapped teachers and pupils of Community High School, Esinle, in the Olori Local Government Area of Oyo State after 56 days in captivity. The Federal Government disclosed that no ransom was paid but instead, the terrorists were neutralised, eight were arrested and are in the custody of the DSS, and none of their demands was met.

Meanwhile, the former Department of State Services (DSS) operative, Seyi Adetayo, stated that the victims were freed without the payment of ransom or any prisoner exchange. He said the rescue operation was driven by intelligence gathering and sustained pressure on the kidnappers’ network.

“They identified the kidnappers’ mothers, wives, children and close associates. They arrested them, recorded videos and sent them to the abductors…”

He explained that security operatives identified and arrested the kidnappers’ mothers, wives, children and close associates, recording videos of the arrests and sending them to the abductors as psychological pressure.

Adetayo added that security forces also tracked the kidnappers’ logistics, cut off their supply lines and escape routes, and gradually tightened the net until the captives were rescued safely.