Oyo Senator Shares Details of Kidnapping Incident

The senator for Oyo North, Abdulfatai Buhari, has shared that the kidnappers who took schoolchildren and teachers in Orire Local Government Area tied up to eight children together on a motorcycle while taking them into the forest.

Buhari, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the armed men, carrying machine guns, moved the children and teachers deep into the forest while filming the whole event.

He spoke about this at the National Assembly on Wednesday, giving details of the abduction.

"When they were taking the children away, six, seven or eight children, they would tie them back to each other. One person would be in front of the Okada, another one would be at the back of the Okada with a machine gun. You can see that terrifying situation. And they were videoing themselves and releasing it," he said.

A total of 49 people, including schoolchildren, teachers, and a toddler, were taken from their schools, the Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, the Community Grammar School, and the L.A. Primary School in Ahoro-Esinele. These schools are located in the Oyo North Senatorial District.

The armed men attacked on 15 May and the victims have been held captive since then. One of the hostages, a mathematics teacher named Michael Oyedokun, was killed by the kidnappers. The remaining children and others are said to be in terrible conditions.

This situation has caused nationwide worry. The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) started an indefinite strike on 1 June to demand the quick rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers.

In response to the crisis, President Bola Tinubu has approved the deployment of 1,000 forest guards. This is to help with security efforts aimed at rescuing the victims and improving surveillance in vulnerable forest areas.

Buhari mentioned that security forces have pinpointed the general area where the kidnappers are hiding. Police and military helicopters are currently monitoring the forest.

"So it’s quite unfortunate. It was terrifying, and since then, the police and army surveillance helicopters have been patrolling the area. Despite this, there are certain things I would say. But they’ve narrowed the place they are," he added.

The senator pointed out that while some people have suggested using substances to incapacitate the kidnappers, this could put the children’s lives at risk.

"The issue now is that some people are saying they should put a powder. Probably the powder will make them sleep. Two years, three years, four years, children who are there, if they put that powder and they sniff it, they may not wake up again. So what are you rescuing? All that these people want is their kids back or their husbands back.

"If they use sleeping powder, some of the two-year-old kids, they may not be able to wake up again. So, what will you tell the mother? You rescued 75-year-old guy or 65-year-old guy and you are telling me that my own son is gone. So, that’s the reason why they have to be tactical. We have to be thoughtful," he said.

Despite these concerns, he expressed trust in the security agencies, saying they are doing everything they can to secure the safe return of the victims.

Buhari also noted that the kidnapping in Esiele community is quite different from the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State and the recent kidnappings in Niger State.

"When we saw that woman, no matter who you are, the moment the woman was crying, the way she was behaving, you would come to tears. The situation in Esiele is different. It’s even different from the Chibok girls. Imagine somebody doing his own morning job, carrying somebody from Yawota. It’s a five-minute drive with an Okada N50, and they thought he was chasing them and was shot on the head," he said.