Oyo Assembly rejects talks with kidnappers, demands rescue operations
By Adejayan Gbenga
The Oyo State House of Assembly on Wednesday rejected calls for negotiations with bandits responsible for the abduction of teachers and students during the recent attack on Ahoro-Esiele community in Oriire Local Government Area, insisting that security agencies should intensify efforts to rescue the victims.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Oriire State Constituency, Johnson Ogundele, shortly after the Assembly resumed plenary from the Eid-al-Adha recess.
Presenting the motion, Ogundele recalled the May 15, 2026 attack on Ahoro-Esiele, Oyo and Yawota communities, where armed men reportedly invaded schools during school hours, killing a teacher, a student and a commercial motorcyclist while abducting several pupils, students and teachers.
He noted that Oriire Local Government Area had suffered repeated security breaches since the beginning of the year, including an earlier attack on the National Park Service office at Oloka village in which five forest guards were killed. While commending Governor Seyi Makinde for deploying security personnel to the affected areas, he called for the establishment of a permanent military base in vulnerable communities and forest corridors.
During deliberations, lawmakers urged the state government to conduct comprehensive security audits of schools located near forests and border communities. They also recommended the installation of solar-powered lighting, perimeter fencing and closed-circuit television cameras in schools considered to be at high risk.
The House further called for the implementation of a structured Safe School Emergency Response Protocol across the state to strengthen the protection of students, teachers and educational facilities against future attacks.
In the same vein, Majority Leader Sanjo Adedoyin renewed calls for the creation of state police, arguing that federal security agencies were overstretched and frequently relied on local vigilantes and the Amotekun Corps during rescue operations. Other lawmakers expressed concern over the spread of insecurity into urban and semi-urban areas, while also advocating improved funding, equipment and operational support for the Amotekun Corps.
In his remarks, Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin firmly rejected any proposal to negotiate with kidnappers, warning that such a move would embolden criminal groups. The lawmakers subsequently resolved to urge the Federal Government to establish a permanent military base in Oriire, directed the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency to provide relief and trauma support for affected families, and mandated its Committee on Security and Strategy to conduct an oversight visit to the affected communities.
