Oyo Senator Shares Details on Kidnapped Victims' Journey to the Forest

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, took the children and teachers deep into the forest while filming the whole thing.

He revealed this while talking to journalists at the National Assembly on Wednesday, giving details about the kidnapping.

“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. Both communities are in Oyo North.

The armed men kidnapped the victims on 15 May, and they have been in captivity since then.

One victim, Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher, was killed by the kidnappers, while the children and other captives are reportedly suffering in terrible conditions.

This incident has raised alarm across the country, leading the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to start an indefinite strike on 1 June, demanding the immediate rescue of the kidnapped pupils and teachers.

In response to the abduction, President Bola Tinubu approved sending 1,000 forest guards to assist in security operations aimed at freeing the victims and increasing surveillance in vulnerable forest areas.

Buhari mentioned that security agencies have pinpointed the general location where the kidnappers are hiding, with police and military helicopters 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 highlighted that while some people have suggested using incapacitating powders to subdue the kidnappers, this method could put the lives of the children 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.

He expressed hope in the security agencies' work, saying they are doing everything possible to ensure the safe return of the victims.

Buhari also pointed out that the kidnapping of pupils in the Esiele community is very different from the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State and the recent school 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.