Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that the state will never suffer the fate of Chibok, assuring residents that the pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area will be rescued safely.
The governor made the pledge on Tuesday while addressing protesters led by social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), who staged a peaceful demonstration over the rising wave of kidnappings and insecurity in the state.
Speaking emotionally at his Ikolaba residence in Ibadan, Makinde said his administration was fully committed to securing the release of the victims and would make every possible sacrifice to bring them home alive.
“Let me make it very, very clear: Oyo State is not Chibok and we will not be Chibok. If you ask me, can I sacrifice myself for those children to come out? I will do it. Our children will never be in the same situation as Chibok children,” Makinde said.
The governor revealed that security operations have already recorded casualties, including a teacher and a Nigerian Army lieutenant, but stressed that authorities are working carefully to avoid further loss of life during the rescue mission.
“We’ve lost a teacher already. If we can avoid losing more, we will avoid losing more, but if we get to the point that certain people have to be sacrificed, including myself, we will do it,” he stated.
Makinde acknowledged the frustrations of residents and said he understood the reason behind the protest, noting that he would likely have joined such a demonstration if he were not serving as governor.
“If I am not in government, I will be you; I’ll be protesting with you,” he said.
The governor also highlighted constitutional limitations facing state governments in security matters, explaining that governors do not have direct control over federal security agencies despite being held accountable by citizens.
“I will not shift blame. Our reality is that the state government is not in charge of all the security agencies. I can call the Commissioner of Police, but I cannot deploy him,” Makinde explained.
He pointed to the establishment of the Amotekun Corps as evidence of his administration’s commitment to security, while noting that the outfit remains inadequately armed.
Expressing his personal pain over the prolonged captivity of the victims, Makinde said more than a month had passed since the abduction but maintained that available intelligence suggests the children and their teachers are still alive.
“There is no information that any of those children or their teachers have died,” he assured.
The governor described the case as unique because it involved nursery and primary school pupils, making the rescue operation more delicate than previous kidnapping incidents.
He disclosed that government officials are in communication with those holding the children, admitting that authorities have had to adopt unusual measures to secure the victims’ release.
“If government starts negotiating with bandits, it means we are surrendering sovereignty to the bandits, but in this special situation, if we want those children alive, we have to bend backwards,” he said.
Makinde further promised that lessons would be learnt from the incident and assured residents that stronger measures would be put in place to prevent a recurrence.
Meanwhile, VeryDarkMan said the protest was aimed at demanding accountability and accelerating efforts to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers.
The activist expressed concern over the lack of public information regarding the victims’ condition and questioned the prolonged delay in securing their freedom.
“As of now, we do not even know the condition of the children. We do not know if the children are still alive,” VDM said.
He added that protesters were prepared to support security agencies in rescue efforts if necessary, insisting that residents deserve answers on the government’s plans to bring the victims home.
