President Bola Tinubu has assured residents of Oyo State that the schoolchildren and teachers abducted during coordinated attacks on three primary schools in Oriire Local Government Area will be rescued unharmed, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to tackling the country’s worsening security challenges.
The President gave the assurance on Thursday during the inauguration of the newly remodelled Premier Hotel in Ibadan, where he said security agencies were deploying every available resource, including international collaboration, to secure the release of the victims.
Tinubu also called on governors in the South-West to sustain the developmental vision of the region’s founding fathers, stressing that security and economic progress must go hand in hand.
The abducted victims, 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers, were taken during coordinated attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, all in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026.
Addressing concerns over the incident, the President said the Federal Government remained fully committed to ensuring the victims’ safe return while strengthening efforts to combat banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country.
“I must at this point reassure the good people of Oyo State and indeed the South-West that the Federal Government is seriously addressing the upswing in banditry, kidnapping and associated criminalities across the nation,” Tinubu said.
He noted that security agencies had intensified coordinated operations to dismantle criminal networks and improve intelligence gathering, adding that the administration would continue to invest in measures aimed at restoring peace and protecting lives.
Tinubu reiterated that his administration would not relent in its efforts to safeguard Nigerians, assuring citizens that every available strategy was being deployed to confront insecurity and ensure that those responsible for violent crimes are brought to justice.
