By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday, announced that his administration was ready to listen to the abductors of school children of last Friday in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
The governor, who made this known while briefing journalists in Ibadan, the state capital, on the security situation surrounding the abduction, declared that his administration would not surrender to terror in the state.
He said the state government is nevertheless willing to listen to the grievances of the abductors if such dialogue would aid the swift and safe return of the victims.
The governor 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, adding that one person was killed during the attack.
Makinde said, “Now we are able to confirm conclusively that at the Community Secondary School, about seven students were abducted, while at the First Baptist Primary and Nursery School, 18 children were abducted and about seven teachers were also involved. And unfortunately, like I reported yesterday, one of them was killed.
“So, whatever it is they demand, we are ready to listen to them and address the ones that we can address as a state government. But the children and their teachers must be released.
“If you see something strange, say something, and expect us to do something. We will not give in to terror. We will do everything possible to ensure that our children and their teachers are returned safety.”
The governor disclosed that the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies had been positioned to coordinate information management and rescue operations, while insisting that certain operational details could not yet be made public due to the sensitive nature of the mission.
Speaking on concerns raised over the State Government’s surveillance aircraft procurement project, Makinde clarified that the aircraft had already arrived in Nigeria and were currently at the Nigerian Air Force headquarters hangar in Lagos undergoing reassembly.
He explained that Chinese manufacturers handling the equipment arrived in the country a few days ago and were expected to complete installation and testing within two weeks.
The governor said the surveillance aircraft would become operational on or before the end of June, adding that the procurement was part of the state government’s strategic efforts to strengthen monitoring along the Oyo-Kwara border as well as the international border between Oyo State and the Republic of Benin.
Makinde said, “The government initiated the surveillance project long before the current abduction incident, as part of proactive efforts to tackle emerging security threats. We didn’t procure the aircraft because of this particular incident, but we wanted to improve our security capability and border monitoring.
“The operation is still ongoing. Yes, it is still a very fluid and difficult situation that our troops on the ground are faced with.”
The governor implored journalists and the public to avoid sensationalising the incident, noting that lives were at stake.
He said, “This is not something sensational. It involves lives. So please, if you are not clear about anything, you can ask us and we will gladly volunteer the information. We have set up an operational centre at the Police Headquarters here. So the Commissioner of Police in the state will be in a position to give you the required information.
“At this stage, due to the complexity of the operation going on, we may not be able to volunteer too much information. But we will definitely call you if something significant comes up.
“The manufacturers from China arrived in the country about three days ago. They should have about two weeks roughly to finish their work. So I can say conclusively that those surveillance aircraft will be in operation before the end of June.
“We were proactive. We wanted to be able to cover the borderline between our state and Kwara State, and also the international border between our state and the Republic of Benin. However, we did not know this would happen at this stage. We did not procure the aircraft because we had this kind of incident in mind.”
Makinde added that interested persons could visit the Nigerian Air Force base in Lagos to inspect the surveillance aircraft and ongoing work on them.
Responding to concerns about rising tension among residents following the abductions, the governor assured the people that his administration remained committed to securing lives and property across the state.
The governor said, “My charge to them is that their government will continue to be alive to its responsibilities to ensure that we have a safe and secure environment where people can go about pursuing their lawful endeavours.
“Yes, this is a blot, but we are doing everything within our power to ensure that normalcy returns and also, by God’s grace, that the children and teachers abducted are returned as quickly as possible.”
On whether the government had established communication with the abductors to understand their grievances, Makinde stressed the need for citizens to support security agencies with timely information.
He said, “What I can say first and foremost is that the citizens and residents of every area in Oyo State must also give timely information to the government.“
“For me, I would just say, if you see something strange, say something, and then expect us to do something. We will keep engaging with the citizens,“ he said.
The governor, however, maintained that while the government would not capitulate to criminal elements, it remained open to dialogue to save the victims.
He said, “To the group, all I can say is that as a government, we will not give in to terror. We will do everything to ensure that our children and their teachers are returned safely.
“We once had a country where we were each other’s brothers’ keepers. How did we descend to this point? These are not foreign people. It is us against ourselves,” the governor said.
Addressing residents of the affected communities, the governor assured them that the government remained committed to protecting lives and property and restoring normalcy to the area.
Recall that Punch Online reports that the gunmen invaded the school on Friday, May 15, abducting the principal, several teachers, and a number of students.
The incident occurred weeks after a failed kidnap attempt along the Ibadan-Ijebu road that reportedly claimed the life of a traveller, further heightening concerns over growing insecurity in parts of Oyo State and other areas of the country.