- The Oyo State House of Assembly has officially rejected suggestions or calls to negotiate with the bandits who abducted teachers and students in Oriire Local Government Area.
- Lawmakers adopted a resolution calling on the Federal Government to establish a permanent military base within the area to secure vulnerable forest corridors.
- The Assembly directed state education bodies to immediately conduct comprehensive security audits and implement emergency response protocols for schools near borders and forests.
The Oyo State House of Assembly has firmly rejected proposals for the state government to engage in negotiations with the bandits responsible for the coordinated school abductions in the Oriire Local Government Area.
Eko Hot Blog reports that during a plenary session on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, lawmakers insisted that negotiating with terrorists would send a dangerous signal, embolden criminal networks, and trigger further attacks across the state.
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Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, acknowledged the deep frustration and anxiety gripping the families of the hostages but maintained that the state’s focus must remain entirely on sustained security operations, intelligence gathering, and tactical rescue missions.
The legislative resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance brought forward by Representative Johnson Ogundele, who details the ongoing security crisis since the initial May 15 attacks on communities including Ahoro-Esiele, Oyo, and Yawota.
During those raids, armed men invaded schools, killing a teacher, a pupil, and a motorcyclist while abducting dozens of individuals. Ogundele noted that Oriire has faced a spike in banditry since January, including a fatal assault on a National Park Service office that left five forest guards dead.
While commending Governor Seyi Makinde for his swift response and personal visits to the affected areas, lawmakers urged the executive arm to provide upgraded weaponry to the local Amotekun Corps, noting that conventional forces heavily rely on local vigilantes and state operatives to navigate the state’s dense, difficult forest terrains.
The debate also spotlighted the alarming evolution of kidnapping into urban and semi-urban spaces, with lawmakers citing the concurrent abduction of the sister and two sons of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, in Ibadan as evidence of the expanding threat.
Lawmakers blamed the vulnerability on the inadequate security presence within the vast, federally maintained forest reserves, where unauthorized mining activities and mystery helicopter landings have been observed.
To mitigate future risks, the Assembly mandated the Ministry of Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board to conduct immediate security audits of vulnerable schools.
They recommended the rapid installation of perimeter fencing, solar-powered security lighting, and CCTV cameras, while directing the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (OYSEMA) to immediately deploy trauma counseling and psychosocial support to the traumatized families of the victims.
