Oyo State Government Denies Paying Ransom for Abducted Pupils and Teachers

The Oyo State Government has officially refuted allegations that it paid a ransom to secure the release of students and teachers kidnapped in the Oriire Local Government Area.

In a statement released on Friday, the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, dismissed the reports as false and misleading. He labeled the claims a deliberate effort by “irresponsible bloggers” to sow confusion and misinform the public regarding the ongoing security situation.

“Although both the Oyo State and Federal Governments 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,” Oyelade stated. He urged the public to ignore these unauthorized reports and instead rely on information provided through official government channels.

The commissioner emphasized that the state government is maintaining close coordination with security agencies to ensure the safe return of the captives and bring the incident to a resolution.

The incident occurred on May 15, when bandits carried out a coordinated attack on three schools in the Yawota and Ahoro-Esienle communities of Oriire Local Government Area.

The assault resulted in the death of one teacher, and the remaining abductees have remained in captivity since that time. Authorities have reiterated that both state and federal security forces are intensifying their efforts to rescue the victims.