The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Wednesday, called for a “careful, clinical, and timely” operation to rescue the students and teachers abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The development comes as military jets were seen hovering around some towns in Oyo State.
A video went viral showing Tucano jets at the tarmac of Ibadan airport on Wednesday.
The Defence Headquarters, in a statement on Tuesday, had stated that the troops had made contact with the abductors and were working to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped students and teachers.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, also said efforts were being made to secure the release of those abducted.
Gunmen had invaded Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and LEA Primary School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area, where they abducted scores of pupils, students, and teachers.
Makinde said seven students were kidnapped from Community Grammar School, while 18 children and seven teachers were abducted from First Baptist Primary and Nursery School. He also disclosed that one person was killed during the attack.
Reacting to the abduction, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, the Speaker said security agencies must ensure that the victims were rescued safely while the perpetrators were brought to justice.
While acknowledging the immediate intervention by the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, including an on-the-spot assessment and deployment of security personnel for rescue operations, Abbas stressed the need for “speed and precision” in handling the mission.
The Speaker strongly condemned the attack, saying it was particularly tragic that educational institutions were now targets at a time Nigeria was battling a growing out-of-school children crisis.
He said it was “more unfortunate that schools are being attacked at a time when the country is struggling to enrol its massive out-of-school children population.”
Abbas noted that schools should ordinarily be among the safest places in any society and called for stronger measures to protect educational institutions and other vulnerable public facilities across the country.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State government has warned against misinformation capable of causing panic, misleading security efforts, and causing unnecessary unease within communities.
This was conveyed in a statement on Wednesday, issued by the Office of the Special Adviser on Security and signed by the Special Adviser on Security, Abayomi Fagbenro.
He stressed the need for verification of any information before circulating it, to avoid misinformation that may affect ongoing security operations as well as erode the confidence of the people.
He also cautioned the public against the danger of false negatives, where actual threats or suspicious activities are ignored or not reported, which, he said, could slow down timely response from security agencies.
Fagbenro, therefore, advised residents of the state to remain alert, observe carefully, and report only what they know or have reasonably confirmed to the appropriate authorities so as to prevent avoidable security incidents.
He described security as a collective responsibility, adding that every credible piece of information provided to the relevant authorities would help to strengthen safety and peace in communities.
“The Office of the Special Adviser on Security wishes to draw the attention of the public to the need for responsible reporting of security-related concerns in line with the principle that citizens should see something and say something.
“Members of the public are urged to ensure that any information they communicate is accurate and verified, to avoid misinformation that may affect ongoing security operations and the confidence of the people.
“The public is also informed about the danger of false negatives, where actual threats or suspicious activities are ignored or not reported, which can slow down timely response from security agencies.
“Citizens are, therefore, advised to remain alert, observe carefully, and report only what they know or have reasonably confirmed to the appropriate authorities so as to prevent avoidable security incidents.
“Security is a collective responsibility, and every credible information provided to the relevant authorities helps to strengthen safety and peace in our communities,” Fagbenro said.
Recall that a rumour did the rounds on Tuesday that bandits again attacked the Ogbomoso area, including Ladoke Akinola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, leading to its closure.
However, The PUNCH confirmed that the rumour was untrue.
Credit: punchng.com
