Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has revealed that the kidnapping of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area happened only a few hours after he publicly announced his intention to run for president in the 2027 election.
Makinde made the remark while addressing a meeting with Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and leaders of the Allied Peoples Movement in Bauchi, recalling that Oyo had not recorded a similar incident during his seven years in office before the May 15 attack.
“For seven years, we didn’t witness anything like this in Oyo State. I declared to run for the presidency of Nigeria at four o’clock, and by 9 a.m. the following morning, the children were abducted,” Makinde said.
Hours after Makinde’s remarks in Bauchi, the Presidency announced that all the victims had been rescued after spending 56 days in captivity.
The Presidency said the victims were freed during a joint operation involving the military, the Department of State Services and the police, with eight suspected kidnappers arrested and others neutralised.
The Presidency disclosed that eight suspected kidnappers were apprehended and are being held by the Department of State Services (DSS), while several other suspects were neutralised during the security operation.