Oyo rejects ransom claims by VDM, says no payment made to kidnappers

By Adeola Badru

Oyo State Government has refuted allegations made by social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), that it paid ransom to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted by bandits in Oriire Local Government Area, describing the claim as false, misleading and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the government insisted that the allegation was “far from the truth”, accusing “irresponsible bloggers” of deliberately spreading falsehoods to create confusion and mislead members of the public.

Prince Oyelade stated that while both the Oyo State Government and the Federal Government have been working relentlessly to secure the safe release of the abducted pupils and their teachers, no ransom has been paid to the kidnappers, either directly or indirectly.

He stressed that the ongoing rescue efforts are being pursued through legitimate security channels, urging the public to disregard the reports circulating on social media and other platforms.

The commissioner further appealed to residents to rely solely on information disseminated through official government channels, warning against the dangers of misinformation capable of undermining ongoing security operations.

He reaffirmed that the Oyo State Government remained in close collaboration with security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of all the abductees and bring the unfortunate incident to a successful conclusion.

The statement read: “The claim that the Oyo State Government paid ransom to secure the release of the abducted pupils and teachers is far from the truth.

“It is the handiwork of irresponsible bloggers whose intention is to create confusion and misinform the public.

“Although the Oyo State Government and the Federal Government have been making concerted efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted children and their teachers, no ransom has been paid to the bandits, either directly or indirectly.

“Members of the public are advised to disregard these false reports and rely only on information released through official government channels.

“The Oyo State Government remains committed to working closely with security agencies to ensure the safe release of the abductees and bring this sad event to a close.”

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