The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, has revealed that terrorists holding abducted schoolchildren and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area are demanding weapons, money, and concessions on future laws as conditions for their release.
Ogundoyin made the disclosure while weighing in on the controversial debate over whether governments should negotiate with kidnappers and terrorist groups to secure the freedom of victims.
According to the Speaker, the demands being made by the abductors go far beyond the payment of ransom and raise serious concerns about national security and the rule of law.
Speaking on the ongoing crisis, Ogundoyin questioned the wisdom of yielding to demands that could strengthen the operational capacity of armed groups and undermine government authority.
“To bring these children and teachers back, if it is up to you, will you negotiate with terrorists if they ask for weapons, they ask for money, they ask for concessions on future laws of this land as part of their ransom?” he asked.
He further challenged advocates of negotiations to consider the wider implications of such concessions.
“If you were the governor, will you accept those ransoms? Will you accept that those people should be accepted into that community?” he queried.
The Speaker warned that repeatedly negotiating with armed groups could embolden them and encourage further abductions.
“The more you negotiate with these people, the more you embolden them,” he said, stressing that governments must carefully balance efforts to rescue victims with the long-term consequences of empowering criminal networks.
His comments come amid mounting public pressure on authorities following the abduction of pupils and teachers during attacks on Esiele and Yawota communities on May 15.
The incident sparked outrage across Oyo State and beyond, with parents, community leaders, and civil society groups demanding urgent action to secure the safe return of the victims.
The disclosure has also reignited national conversations about how governments should respond to kidnappings and terrorist-related abductions, particularly when captors make demands that could compromise security or public policy.
As rescue efforts continue, attention remains focused on security agencies and government officials working to secure the release of the schoolchildren and teachers without further escalating the security threat.
The fate of the abducted victims remains a matter of deep concern, while authorities face the difficult task of balancing humanitarian considerations with broader national security interests.
Source:@instablog9ja
