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As Presidency Announces Arrest of Eight Kidnappers
- Safiu Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu has expressed profound joy over the rescue of the students and teachers abducted from Oriire community in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, by kidnappers.
NPO earlier Reported that the kidnap victims regained their freedom on Friday evening after 56 days in captivity.
The rescue mission had since sparked wild celebration across the country as the 39 children and seven teachers regained their freedom.
Reacting to the development in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu expressed his delight as he praised the heroic efforts of the security agencies.
The president, according to Onanuga, hailed the military, the DSS and the police, for working round the clock in the last 56 days to secure the release of the abducted children and their teachers without any collateral damage.
He disclosed that eight of the abductors were arrested with several others neutralised.
However, Tinubu regretted the anguish that the children and their teachers, as well as members of their families and the entire nation, have experienced since the sad occurrence.
For cooperating with the Federal Government in all rescue efforts, President Tinubu commended the Oyo State Government and charged it to ensure adequate security around schools across the state.
“I am profoundly happy that our security forces successfully rescued the abducted pupils and teachers from Orire, Ogbomoso in Oyo State today after a military, police and intelligence-driven operation that neutralised some of the terrorists that perpetrated the evil act and the arrest of eight of them.
“This successful military operation has ended the siege and standoff of over 50 days and has brought relief to the entire nation and the affected families in particular.
“On behalf of the country, I express my gratitude to the officers and men of our armed forces, the intelligence agencies and the police for the safe rescue of the children and their teachers.” The president said as quoted in the statement.
He vowed to get justice for the children, their teachers, as well as the slayed Micheal Oyedokun, the Mathematics teacher beheaded by the kidnappers.
“My government will get justice for these children and their teachers and for the family of Mr Oyedokun, who the terrorists gruesomely murdered.
“I must commend the government of Oyo State for working cooperatively with us in bringing this unfortunate incident to a successful end,” the President said.
Tinubu, according to Onanuga, had since directed that the emergency agencies work with the Oyo State Government to provide all necessary medical and relief support to the children and the teachers.