Igboho commends Tinubu over rescue of Oyo pupils, teachers

Yoruba nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, on Saturday commended President Bola Tinubu and security agencies for the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire, Oyo State.

Igboho said yielding to the kidnappers’ demands, including the reported request for the release of detained terrorists, would have emboldened criminal groups and further financed violent activities.

He stated this in a statement issued by his media office in Ibadan while reacting to Friday’s rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers after 56 days in captivity.

Online reports that the victims were rescued during a coordinated security operation, with eight suspected kidnappers arrested and others neutralised. The Presidency also said the government did not negotiate or exchange any detained terrorist for the victims’ release.

Commending the operation, Igboho praised what he described as the “highly wired diplomacy intelligence-driven tactics” deployed by security agencies to secure the victims’ freedom.

“I want to commend President Bola Tinubu, the military, the Police, the Department of State Security and other paramilitary agencies for their painstaking efforts, which resulted in the freedom for the pupils and their teachers.

This development not only brought relief and joy to their distraught families, but it has also rekindled hope of the citizenry in the commitment of the Federal Government to tackle criminality and ensure a safe and secure environment,” he said.

He also praised the Minister of Defence, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, the military and other security chiefs for what he described as seamless collaboration during the rescue operation.

According to him, the Federal Government has demonstrated its determination to dismantle criminal networks operating in Oke-Ogun and other parts of the country.

“Since the day the pupils were abducted, Tinubu has spared no effort to ensure their release. I want to emphatically state and assure that the government’s resolve to tackle criminal networks in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State, and Nigeria as a whole are not in doubt.

“The Federal Government’s current synergy with local security organisations to confront criminals in communities will continue unabated as we are absolutely committed to exploring all legal means to create conducive environments for farmers and inhabitants of rural communities in the South-West,” he added.

Igboho also commiserated with the family of teacher Michael Oyedokun, who was killed during the abduction, and other families affected by the incident.