Oyo abduction: Why we tracked down kidnappers’ families – Tinubu
By: Abudu Olalekan
When a delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo State visited the Presidential Villa on Thursday, they went to show some appreciation. But President Bola Tinubu had a lot more to say about how those school kids from Oriire were actually rescued.
It turns out the government didn’t just refuse to pay ransom. They tracked down and went after the kidnappers’ families to break their resolve.
During the Abuja meeting, Tinubu opened up about the tense 56 days when 39 pupils and seven teachers from Oriire LGA were held hostage. The bandits wanted cash, sure, but they also demanded the release of their gang members who were already in custody.
But Tinubu wasn’t having it. “No deal,” he said.
The president who has been quiet about the whole incident since the July 10 rescue finally shared the gritty details of what went down behind the scenes. He pointed out that these criminals didn’t just appear from thin air—they have families and communities they grew up in.
“We were ready to finish with their families, members of their own communities,” Tinubu told the monarchs. It was a tough stance, but with the backing of the community and some serious prayers, it paid off. The military pulled off a successful, intelligence-driven rescue without paying a single kobo.
The Plan to Beef Up Security
If you wondered why the president recently ordered the army to expand from eight to 12 divisions, now we know. Tinubu admitted this move was a direct reaction to the Oyo school abduction. The goal is simple; shorten response times and make sure security forces have enough boots on the ground to deal with bandits.
And then there are the forest guards. Tinubu thinks they’ve been wasting time chasing wildlife.
“They are not just to chase antelopes and animals,” he said. Instead, they’re going to be retrained and re-equipped to hunt down actual criminals hiding in the forests.
He also blamed the rising insecurity on the chaos in Sahel neighbors like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. It’s a regional mess, and Nigeria is feeling the heat. To counter this, Tinubu is pushing hard for state police, though he promised there would be “guardrails” to make sure governors don’t abuse the power.
A Message to Governors: Build Roads, Not Vanity Flyovers
Tinubu didn’t hold back when talking about how state governors spend their money. Thanks to increased federal allocations, states are getting way more cash than before.
The president, channeling some of the advice he probably got back in his governor days, urged them to stop building expensive flyovers where there isn’t even traffic. Instead, they should build rural roads. Why? Because bad roads make it impossible for security forces to chase bandits into remote areas.
“Nobody is borrowing money to pay salaries now,” he remarked. “They should do more.”
The Monarchs Say Thank You
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who led the Oyo chiefs to the Villa, admitted everyone was terrified during those 56 days. It was a nightmare situation, especially after a mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was brutally killed during the initial attack on May 15, 2026.
But Ladoja expressed deep gratitude to the military and the president for getting the rest of the victims back alive. The monarchs also used the visit to remind the president about the terrible state of federal roads in Oyo, lobbying for projects like the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode and Ogbomoso-Ilorin roads.
According to a statement by Ladoja’s media aide, Adeola Oloko, the council promised that folks at the grassroots would support the road projects fully.
The delegation included several prominent Oyo kings, including Oba Francis Alao (the Olugbon of Orile-Igbon), Oba Sefiu Oyebola (the Aseyin of Iseyin), and Oba Ghandi Olaoye (the Soun of Ogbomoso), among others.
To recap: back on May 15, gunmen attacked three schools in Oriire LGA, taking dozens of kids and teachers hostage. It took 56 days of intense pressure, zero ransom, and some hard-nosed strategy before they were finally brought home on July 10. And as Reportersroom gathered, the government is making sure it doesn’t happen again.
Olalekan A. Abudu is a seasoned and dedicated News Journalist at REPORTERS ROOM, with over eight years of experience. He specializes in politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial issues. Committed to accuracy and balanced reporting, Olalekan exemplifies the principles of public-interest journalism.
