•Governor Makinde of Oyo State (top left) and the freed kidnap victims
Governor Seyi Makinde has received the rescued teachers and pupils abducted from Ahoro Esienle and Yawota schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
The Nigerian Army formally handed them over to the Oyo State Government yesterday after their rescue from captivity, reports Channels TV.
The handover ceremony, held at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, marked the formal transfer of responsibility for the victims’ welfare from the military to the state government, 56 days after they were kidnapped by armed terrorists.
Speaking during the ceremony, Makinde described the rescue as an extraordinary feat made possible through the collaboration of the federal government, the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, while assuring the victims that the state government would stand by them throughout their recovery.
The governor expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his support throughout the rescue operation, as well as the leadership of the nation’s security agencies.
“On behalf of the government and the good people of Oyo State, I wish to express our profound appreciation to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for his unwavering support throughout this operation,” Makinde said.
He noted that although similar incidents had occurred in different parts of the country, the response to the Oriire abduction was unprecedented.
“People from across Nigeria and around the world united in calling for the safe return of the teachers and pupils. I can only thank Almighty God for His grace upon Oyo State,” he added.
Makinde described the incident as the first of its kind during his more than seven years in office and prayed it would never reoccur in the state.
Addressing the rescued victims, the governor acknowledged the psychological trauma they endured during their 56-day captivity.
“What you endured over 56 days cannot simply be erased in 56 months. Nevertheless, I want to assure you that you will not walk this path alone,” he said.
Although the affected Baptist school is privately owned, Makinde pledged that the state government would engage its management to ensure that the ordeal does not interrupt the careers of the teachers or the education of the pupils.
He also disclosed that the victims would continue to receive medical attention and psychosocial support under the supervision of the former Chief Medical Director of UCH, Temitope Alonge, adding that they would only be reunited with their families after medical experts certified them fit.
“The Oyo State government will do everything within its power to ensure that there is no disruption to the careers of the teachers and no interruption to the education of the pupils,” the governor assured.
Makinde formally announced that the state government had assumed responsibility for the continued welfare of all the rescued teachers and pupils.
In his address, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, said the successful rescue was the outcome of painstaking intelligence-led operations and close collaboration among security agencies.
The GOC revealed that preliminary findings indicated the existence of local collaborators who allegedly aided the terrorists.
According to him, investigations uncovered the involvement of some members of local vigilante groups and hunters who worked with the kidnappers, stressing that security agencies and the state government would critically review the entire incident to prevent a recurrence.
He also explained why military aircraft could not be deployed to extract the victims.
“The location where the teachers and pupils were held was deep inside the forest, making aerial extraction impossible. That terrain forced our troops to rely on carefully coordinated ground operations to achieve the successful rescue,” he said.
He saluted the bravery of all those who lost their lives during the operation and expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for providing all enablers for a successful operation.
He also appreciated Governor Makinde for his support throughout the operation, as well as the National Security Adviser to the President, the National Counter Terrorism Unit, the Special Boat Unit from the Nigerian Navy, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chiefs of Air and Naval Staff, sister security agents, and others for their support.
In an emotional address, the school Principal, speaking publicly for the first time since regaining freedom, recounted the horrifying ordeal suffered by the victims during their captivity.
She described the experience as “torturous and horrendous,” revealing that the abductors subjected both teachers and pupils to severe physical abuse.
According to her, the male victims were blindfolded and repeatedly beaten, while children who cried from fear and exhaustion were also mercilessly assaulted.
The principal made the most shocking revelation of the ceremony when she confirmed that the abductors executed the school’s mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, by beheading him.
She said the terrorists carried out the gruesome killing to demonstrate their resolve and pressure the government into meeting their demands. She further revealed that another teacher, John Olaleye, was also murdered during the period of captivity.
The disclosures cast fresh light on the brutality endured by the victims and underscored the dangers faced by the security forces during the weeks-long operation that eventually secured the freedom of the surviving teachers and pupils.
The Oriire school abduction had drawn national attention and triggered widespread calls for the safe return of the victims before the Nigerian Army, supported by other security agencies, successfully rescued them during coordinated operations across the Old Oyo National Park and adjoining forests.
