Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, yesterday declared that he is prepared to make any sacrifice, including risking his own life, to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
The governor made the declaration while addressing a group of peaceful protesters led by activist and social commentator, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), at his private residence in Ikolaba, Ibadan.
Makinde, who responded to calls by the protesters to be allowed to join rescue efforts, said the security architecture currently in place is capable of securing the safe return of the victims with minimal casualties.
He disclosed that intelligence reports available to the government indicated that no further casualties had been recorded among the abductees since the killing of a Mathematics teacher shortly after the abduction.
The governor, however, maintained that if circumstances demand it, he would not hesitate to personally participate in the rescue operation despite the risks involved.
“We will do everything humanly possible to bring our children back. And I am not somebody who leads from the back. Because of the nature of the security situation, I cannot divulge a lot of information. We are doing everything possible, including what you have suggested. We have lost a teacher already. If we can avoid losing more, we will do that. But if we get to the point that certain people have to be sacrificed, including myself, we will do it,” Makinde said.
Makinde commended the protesters for conducting a peaceful solidarity march, describing public agitation and civic engagement as important tools for ensuring accountability and prompting decisive action from leaders and security agencies.
He said he understood the concerns of the protesters and would likely have joined such demonstrations if he were not in government, adding, “If I were not in government, I would be protesting also. So, I do not have anything against what you are doing,” he said. To have a society where leaders are accountable and inclusive may require agitation, protest, people getting up from their comfort zone to do something like this.”
The governor also highlighted the limitations faced by state governments in matters of security, noting that governors do not exercise direct control over federal security agencies.
According to him, while a governor may make requests, operational decisions involving the police and military remain subject to approval from their respective national authorities.
“I will not shift blame, but our reality is that a state government is not in charge of all the security agencies. As the governor of Oyo State, I cannot deploy the CP of Oyo State. If I instruct him to go to a location, he will need to get the final say from the IGP in Abuja. Same thing with the military,” he explained.
Makinde noted that security had remained one of the cardinal pillars of his administration, leading to the establishment of the Oyo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, although he acknowledged that the outfit had not been adequately armed.
“However, when I came in, security was one of the cardinal points of this administration, and that’s why we set up Amotekun. Amotekun has not been armed adequately, but that is our reality. I must say that I am distressed with what has happened to our children, and it has been one month and one day now,” he added.
Earlier, VeryDarkMan said the solidarity walk was organised to support ongoing efforts by the state government and security agencies to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers and reunite them with their families.
He pledged to volunteer himself, alongside other youths, to participate in rescue operations in Oriire Local Government Area, describing the move as part of a broader commitment to tackling kidnapping and banditry across the country.
The governor received the protesters alongside the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Mr Williams Akin-Funmilayo; the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security, CP Sunday Odukoya (retd); and Chairman of the Oyo State Youth Agency and Development, Prince Adebowale Falana, among other government officials.
