• Promises timely rescue of other victims
•Says bandits, collaborators’ll be apprehended
•Urges N’Assembly to expedite action on enactment of state police law
•We’ll not give in to terror but ready to listen to their demands, declares Makinde
• Don’t let Mussa become another Chibok, northern senators warn
•Nigeria-US military kill 20 ISIS/ISWAP fighters as target operations continue
Deji Elumoye, Sunday Aborisade, Linus Aleke in Abuja and Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
President Bola Tinubu has condemned as barbaric the reported killing of one of the abducted teachers from the Esiele community in Oyo State, promising that the security was working round the clock to arrest the bandits and rescue the victims.
Bandits had last Friday invaded the Esiele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and abducted staff, students, and pupils of Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School and L.A. Primary School.
According to a statement by the presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, security operatives were working around the clock to rescue the victims and apprehend the bandits as well as their collaborators within the community.
Tinubu sympathised with Governor Seyi Makinde, the government, and the people of Oyo State for the unfortunate incident and assured them that the federal government wouldcollaborate with the state government to rescue the victims.
“I am saddened by the reported killing of one of the teachers kidnapped by the gunmen, who invaded the community. I sympathise with Governor Seyi Makinde and commend the steps he has taken on the matter. I sympathise with the families of the kidnapped victims.
“The federal government is working with the Oyo State government to rescue all the victims. I commend the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioners of Police in Oyo and Kwara States for their quick intervention and the deployment of a tactical and the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) team to rescue the victims.
“The IGP, following my instructions, is personally leading the tech-driven operation. We expect a breakthrough soon. The bandits and all their local collaborators will be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law.
“Cases of kidnapping further make imperative the establishment of state police to man some of our underserved areas. The National Assembly should accelerate the enactment of the law creating state police,” the president said.
We’ll Not Give in to Terror But Ready to Listen to Their Demands, Declares Makinde
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that the state government would not surrender to terror, even as it remained willing to listen to the demands of the abductors responsible for the kidnapping of pupils, students, and teachers in Oriire Local government area of the state.
Speaking on the incident during a briefing with journalists at his Ikolaba, Ibadan residence, Makinde said the government’s priority remained the safe and timely return of all victims.
“We will not give in to terror. We will do everything to ensure that our children and their teachers are returned safely,” the governor stated.
He, however, noted that the government was prepared to engage with the abductors in a bid to peacefully resolve the situation.
“Whatever it is they demand, we are ready to listen to them and address what we can as a state government. But the children and their teachers must be released timely,” he added.
Makinde confirmed that seven students were abducted from Community Secondary School, while 18 children and seven teachers were kidnapped from First Baptist Primary and Nursery School in Oriire Local Government Area.
The governor also confirmed that one of the victims was killed during the attack, noting that the rescue operations were still ongoing.
Describing the situation as “fluid and difficult” for security operatives on ground, he appealed for responsible reportage of the incident, stressing that the matter involved lives and should not be sensationalised.
Makinde disclosed that an operational centre has been established at the Oyo State Police Headquarters, where the Commissioner of Police would provide verified updates on the operation.
On security reinforcement efforts, the governor announced that two surveillance aircraft procured by the state government had arrived in Nigeria and were currently being reassembled at the Nigerian Air Force hangar in Lagos.
He said the aircraft were expected to become operational before the end of June and would help monitor border areas between Oyo and Kwara States, as well as the international border with the Republic of Benin.
Makinde assured residents that the government remainedcommitted to securing the state and ensuring the safe return of the abducted victims.
He also urged residents to provide timely information to security agencies, saying, “If you see something strange, say something and expect us to do something.”
Don’t Let Mussa Become Another Chibok, Northern Senators Warn
The Northern Senators Forum has raised the alarm over the abduction of 42 students and children from Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Mussa, in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, warning against a repeat of the prolonged tragedy that followed the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ kidnapping.
The forum, through its Chairman, Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua, condemned the attack and called on the federal government and security agencies to launch immediate and coordinated rescue operations to secure the safe return of the victims.
In a statement issued, yesterday, Yar’Adua described the abduction, which reportedly occurred on Friday, May 15, as “an attack on innocent children and a direct assault on the right to education and the future of Northern Nigeria.”
He said, “We strongly condemn the abduction of 42 students and children from GDSS Mussa in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State. This attack on innocent children in school is unacceptable and a direct assault on the right to education and the future of Northern Nigeria.”
The forum specifically urged the federal government, the Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai and other security agencies to intensify efforts towards rescuing the pupils without delay.
According to the statement, “We call on the federal government, the Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai and all relevant security agencies to immediately intensify rescue operations and secure the safe and unconditional release of all the abducted children.”
The senators warned that the nation could not afford another prolonged kidnapping crisis similar to the Chibok incident, which drew global outrage and left many families in anguish for years.
“We must not allow this incident to become another prolonged tragedy like the Chibok abduction. Every hour counts, and the families of these children cannot endure another decade of uncertainty and pain,” he said.
The forum also expressed solidarity with the people and government of Borno State, insisting that urgent and decisive measures must be taken to halt recurring attacks on schools and vulnerable communities in the North-East.
“The Northern Senators Forum stands with the people of Borno State and demands decisive, coordinated action to rescue the victims and prevent a recurrence of such attacks on our schools,” the statement added.
Nigeria-US Military Kill 20 ISIS/ISWAP Fighters as Target Operations Continue
In a related development, the Nigerian military has disclosed that coordinated operations involving Nigerian and United States forces have led to the elimination of more than 20 ISIS/ISWAP fighters, as joint counterterrorism operations continued across North-east Nigeria and the wider Sahel region.
In a statement, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said the Defence Headquarters, working in close coordination with the United States Africa Command, carried out additional air strike operations against ISIS militants in the general area of Metele.
According to him, “The Defence Headquarters, in close coordination with United States Africa Command, wish to update the general public on the continuation of coordinated operations against ISIS militants across the North East Nigeria, with additional air strike operations successfully executed in the general area of Metele.
“Following observed convergence and migration of terrorist elements, multiple air strikes were conducted resulting in the elimination of more than 20 ISIS/ISWAP fighters.
“The ongoing operations follow the neutralisation of ISIS commander Abu-Bilal al-Minuki and are part of sustained efforts to disrupt terrorist networks, remove them from the battlefield and deny the terrorists any safe haven within Nigeria.”
He noted that the ongoing operations formed part of broader efforts to dismantle terrorist networks, degrade their operational capabilities, and prevent them from establishing safe havens within the country.
Uba also reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to defending the nation’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security against terrorism and other security threats.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria will continue to aggressively defend the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the nation.
“Terrorists who threaten our citizens, communities and national stability will be located and defeated. There will be no safe haven for all terrorists anywhere in Nigeria,” Uba said.