Don’t allow Ogbomoso to resort to self-help, Oyeniyi urges FG, Oyo govt over Oriire abduction, calls for urgent rescue

Don’t allow Ogbomoso to resort to self-help, Oyeniyi urges FG, Oyo govt over Oriire abduction, calls for urgent rescue

Appeals for urgent action to prevent citizens taking rescue into their own hands

Yinka ADETUNJI

A legislative consultant and Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) House of Representatives’ candidate for Ogo Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency, Prince Akinloye Olusegun Oyeniyi, has called on the federal government and Oyo state government to act swiftly to secure the release of victims of the Yawota and Ahoro-Esinele school attacks in Oriire local government area, warning that delay could push residents toward self-help.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Oyeniyi said the people of Ogbomoso have endured 15 days of agonising uncertainty since the raids targeted schools in Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota where large number of students and teachers were taken into captivity and remain missing to date.

“According to videos being circulated by the assailants, the victims who, now face the chilly nights harsh reality of the rainy season, lack of food and water, are believed to be held in the forest areas surrounding Ogbomoso,” the statement read.

Narrating the effects of the situation on the community, Oyeniyi said the attacks have deepened the educational, humanitarian, and security crisis in the area. Families are living in psychological distress, unsure if their children and relatives will return home alive. The wider impact, he noted, is visible across Ogbomoso Land, where markets are quieter, farms have been abandoned, and movement has reduced due to fear.

The legislative consultant urged the Oyo state government and the federal government to mobilise security and intelligence resources, provide regular updates to victims’ families, deploy medical and psychological support, and communicate a clear plan to restore security in the affected communities and their environs.

“My plea is that governments at both levels act decisively now so that Ogbomoso people, who are now greatly feeling helpless, are not driven into resorting to self-help to rescue their people,” Oyeniyi said.

“The responsibility for the safety of citizens constitutionally lies with the federal and state governments. When that is delayed, it creates a dangerous vacuum,” he added.

He further noted that Ogbomoso has a history of peace, industry, and respect for constituted authority, and appealed for the governments to match that tradition with concrete action to bring the captives home safely.

“We prefer a government-led rescue. No community should be left with the impression that it has been abandoned and must now take actions to protect its own people,” he said.