President Bola Tinubu has revealed that his government refused to pay ransom or negotiate with the kidnappers who abducted 39 pupils and seven teachers in Oriire, Oyo State.
Receiving the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and other traditional rulers in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu said the kidnappers demanded money and the release of their jailed gang members.
“But we said no deal. We are not going to negotiate with criminals,” the President said.
The victims were rescued after 56 days in an intelligence-led military operation, with eight suspects arrested and several others neutralised, according to the Presidency. Teacher Michael Oyedokun was killed in the May 15 attack.
Tinubu said the operation succeeded because security forces had mapped the forest where the victims were held.
He disclosed that the decision to increase Army divisions from eight to 12 was partly triggered by the Oyo abduction, saying the expansion would reduce response times and strengthen the military’s reach.
The President also announced plans to establish state police, with safeguards against abuse, and retrain and equip forest guards to fight criminals.
He blamed worsening insecurity partly on instability in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, saying some terrorists operating in Nigeria were foreigners.
Tinubu urged traditional rulers to mobilise their communities to provide intelligence by reporting suspicious persons and activities.
He also called on state governments to use increased federal allocations to build roads, saying improved infrastructure would make it easier for security agencies to reach remote areas.
The President praised the military for rescuing the victims and promised wider consultations with traditional rulers across the country on security.
